Cherish
by meteoradreams
Summary: Here is my short little story based upon the goodperfect ending of Final Fantasy X2. Main story centers on Tidus and Yuna, although there is some light shoujoai between Rikku and Paine.
1. Sweet Nothing

**Cherish**

Chapter 1: Sweet Nothing

"So, are you still retired or have you gone back to blitz?" He asked.

"Believe it or not, I'm still out of it. I'm a father now!" Wakka replied, pointing to his newborn son cradled in the arms of his wife, Lulu. "He's my pride and joy. His name's Vidina."

"Well hello there Vidina!" Tidus pointed his finger at Vidina's hand. Vidina instinctively grabbed at it and cooed. "Ha, how cute. You know Wakka, that time we went into the Farplane to see our dead relatives, I told Lulu that you two would go great together."

"And what did Lulu say?" Wakka inquired, noticing that a smirk twisted into shape on Lulu's face.

"She pretty much bit my hand off at that." Tidus replied. "But now look."

"How right you were," Lulu remarked nonchalantly, however displaying some rare amusement.

"Well, we better get going. It's almost time for Vidina's nap. You two lovebirds better not get lost, ya?" Wakka said.

"I think I remember the way," Tidus replied, laughing. He watched Wakka and Lulu disappear into the thicket, and then turned his head to the right, and her gorgeous face snatched the breath out of his lungs, yet again. It was a welcome feeling, he thought, that her beauty still left him enchanted. It might have been her rosy cheeks, combined with her soft adorable smile. Maybe it was her mesmerizing eyes, her right eye a radiant green emerald, and her left eye a burning sapphire blue. _The real jewels in this world. _Most definitely it was her soul. Her innocent, caring demeanor she displayed to everybody who greeted her, now with a fun-loving spirit mixed in as she explored and enjoyed the life she had given up two years ago, if not in body, then in mind. It enraged Tidus to think that a false faith nearly convinced Yuna to throw it all away, had they made their pilgrimage to Zanarkand by the book. She was willing to lay down her own life to bring peace to Spira, but for what? Only a few years later, Yuna's sacrifice would have been forgotten, less useful than the sand they were walking in, and a new Sin would have continued its interrupted reign of terror.

_But that's not how it happened._ Tidus reassured himself. _Sin is gone forever, and this beautiful girl is still alive to enjoy the fruits of what she has sown. And now, I get to see her enjoy that life. _Tidus smiled and wrapped his arms around the small of Yuna's waist. "I love you too," he replied to an affirmation made by Yuna two years ago. It was the last thing he heard as he faded away that day.

Yuna batted her eyes, a bright shimmer glinting off both of her radiant pupils, and leaned into his embrace. Her soft lips met his and this moment both thought they'd never have again was being kissed out slowly and tenderly. It stretched into a blissful eternity before Yuna rested her head on his chest. _There's his heartbeat. He really is alive._

"Now, Yuna, where were we?" Tidus asked of her recent adventure.

"Well," Yuna started, "It all began when I saw this sphere of you." She smiled and sat down in the sandy path. She explained the entirety of her recent journey, from her joining the Gullwings to the destruction of Vegnagun in the Farplane, in the next half hour.

"So, Shuyin really looked like me?" Tidus asked as Yuna finished.

"Not really, and that was only in the face. And even that was more sullen than yours is." Yuna replied.

"And so you wound up bringing Lenne to him?" Tidus asked, interested in hearing them. He had never heard of Shuyin, who was a blitzer from his time, although he vaguely remembered hearing great things about Lenne, the popular songstress and summoner in his former time.

"Yes, she kept her spirit in the dressphere we had and when we finally got him to listen, Lenne came out." Yuna explained. "She finally got him to rest, and so they're together now in the Farplane. She said she had a new song for him. Well, she had a thousand years to write it."

"Wow," Tidus breathed. "I missed a lot, didn't I?"

Yuna stood to her feet. "Think about all the times we can spend together now, with you by my side." She countered, with her alluring smile and sparkle in her eyes. Tidus smiled and wrapped his arms around Yuna's back.

"Not until the end, always." Tidus said.

"Always." Yuna repeated. After a moment of thought, she decided that a little trip would be a great idea.

"Let's go to Zanarkand." Yuna said out of the blue. She had clearly worked harder at being blunt.

"Huh?" Tidus stammered, bewildered at the request out of left field. "My Zanarkand?" He clarified.

"Well, I thought the only way back to your Zanarkand was through Sin, and well, I don't think he's coming back this time around." Yuna replied. "We can get to our Zanarkand before sunset though, and be back by nightfall."

"On the airship?"

"Of course!" Yuna grabbed Tidus's hand and yanked him back toward the shore of Besaid. The Celsius was still perched there just offshore in the shallow water.

"You remember Cid, don't you?" Yuna asked as the two frolicked into the ocean hand in hand.

"How could I forget? He really helped us get inside Sin." Tidus replied.

"He owns this ship. Brother actually runs it, but it's a family operation." Yuna explained.

"You mean that buffoon blitzer? Rikku's brother?" Tidus asked for clarification.

"I heard that, punk!" Brother screamed, his voice booming out of the Celsius PA system.

Yuna's face flushed red with laughter at Brother's retort. "Yup, that's the guy!"

"Oh brother," Tidus chimed. Pun intended, thank you very much.

The cargo bay door that Yuna flung herself out of only an hour and a half earlier opened lazily and the two stepped inside. She led Tidus up to the bridge where an eccentric as usual Brother snapped to military style attention. "Where to, captain?" Brother chimed, at Yuna of course.

"Zanarkand, and extra brownie points if you can get us there before sunset." Yuna replied.

"Of course, Yuna!" Brother squealed, his thick German accent booming throughout the bridge.

"He might be the 'leader' of this outfit, but it's easy to order him around if you know which button to push." Yuna whispered into Tidus's ear, and Tidus laughed out loud at the remark.

Paine and Rikku stepped onto the bridge a minute later, and Rikku walked up to the couple. Paine kept her distance, interested, but not prodding. "Hey buddy! Where'd you disappear to?" Rikku greeted with a friendly punch to his shoulder. Paine smiled and nodded acknowledgment when Tidus looked over, not recognizing her.

"I disappeared with the fayth." Tidus replied simply, hoping it would satisfy Rikku enough that she wouldn't prod for any more details, details of which he was sure he didn't have. However, it made him explore inside himself, looking for the reason, the why, the how of everything. _Was I dead? I was with Auron, Yuna's father and my old man the last two years. _Some of the details of his time in the Farplane started flooding back to him.

_Auron told me he was an unsent...I killed my old man myself. We arrived in the Farplane at about the same time. But if I never did exist, then why is my memory of the Farplane coming back to me? Another dream? No...It couldn't be. Auron, Braska, and my old man were cheering on Yuna, when she fought Vegnagun. It matched.. Now I remember...She reacted to them, she heard them. I almost said something, but I couldn't. It would have ripped her heart out to hear me but to never see me again. It wouldn't have been fair. So I stayed silent. I wanted her to move on. Because I thought we would never see each other ever again. But after she destroyed Vegnagun, we were sitting around. We were talking. Like usual. Small talk really, I made up with my dad many months ago. But then Auron said something that confused me. Something about my story continuing. His usual cryptic speech. Then my dad told me to go on. Lord Braska, he said he wanted me to take care of his daughter. Before I had a chance to ask what was going on, I blacked out. Then I wound up here. _

"I see." Rikku replied. _He doesn't want to spill it. Maybe he doesn't know either. _It was rare the first friend Tidus ever made in Spira decided to drop the subject. But this was one of the times.

Paine stepped forward and decided to enter the conversation. "You must be the guy Yuna set out looking for. My name is Paine." She said in introduction and offered her hand.

"Nice to meet you." Tidus shook her hand.

"It's nice to see the one that makes Yuna smile like she did." Paine replied as she took her seat on the bridge.

"Alright kids," Buddy called out. "We're about to get underway."

"Hold on!" Yuna interrupted.

"What is it, Yuna?" Brother asked.

"Could you open up the deck again?" Yuna pleaded.

"But of course, Yunie."

"Thank you so much!"

"Yippee, another deck ride!" Rikku beamed and began walking toward the elevator with Yuna and Tidus. Paine stopped her with a grab to her shoulder.

"I think they need their moment in private." Paine reminded Rikku.

"Awww..." Rikku loved the deck rides and always would. They spoiled her. But Paine was right. And besides, there was always another time. "You're right, they need their privacy."

_And so do we,_ Paine didn't add as they both instead trailed off toward the cabin.

"Brother, can you hear me?" Yuna yelled from the deck.

"Rogerrrrr!" Brother growled, or purred. Yuna still had yet to decide the proper adjective for how he said that. "Gentlemen, start your engines!" Immediately the massive engines powering the Celsius roared to life.

"Take us as high and fast as before!"

"Roggggerrrr!" Yuna would always get a kick out of that. The Celsius accelerated quickly, and gained altitude.

"Yuna!" Tidus yelled, worried about the precarious place that both stood, right in front of the Gullwing emblem. That, and the fact that he wasn't used to his airship legs like before. He stumbled once and then picked up his airship feet after a minute or so.

"Remember when I said I could fly?" Yuna asked her love.

"Yes!" Tidus replied, flashing back to her escape from that bastard Seymour.

"Come fly with me." Yuna stood erect and stretched her arms out in a crucifixion pose. Tidus walked up behind her and did the same, but intertwined his fingers with hers.

"We're flying," Tidus whispered into Yuna's ear. They stood together, arms stretched out and legs rigid as if nailed to a cross. Tidus peeked over her shoulder to see the vibrant face of the one he cherished, and Yuna greeted him with her lovely grin. Tidus closed her arms inward, her hands now covering her stomach, and his hands covering hers.

"What do you reckon they're doing up there?" Buddy asked.

"Yuna is showing him how to fly." Brother responded evenly. "Yuna always had a fascination with flying."

"I wonder where he went, you know, for these two years."

"Of that, Buddy, I do not know. All I do know is that he was a dream of the Fayth, and when we killed Sin, he disappeared. Like Macalania, yes?"

"I've never seen her happier than when she heard that whistle. She got so excited, so emotional, she started crying." Buddy observed. "Yuna's eyes just welled up."

"Buddy, you do know the feelings I have for Yuna, yes? But it is he that her heart desires. And if he makes her happy, then ultimately I am happy. Most of all I want Yuna happy, yes? And so this race I will bow out of, my feelings be damned." Brother said.

"I see." Buddy replied. _Giving up already? _

"Okay, descending to the Calm Lands. You sure you want to do this, Shinra?" Brother asked. Shinra kept the promise he vowed before YRP jumped into the Farplane.

"Yep, it's time for me to go." Shinra replied. "I have some great things I want to present to Tobli." Yuna and Tidus rushed back onto the bridge to see why the Celsius was stopping short of Zanarkand.

"I'm saying goodbye." Shinra ran up to Yuna and hugged her the best he could, which was only her legs. _Not a bad view_. Yuna knelt down to bring herself down to his diminutive form, allowing for a face to face goodbye that didn't have to strain any necks.

"Already Shinra? You're too young to retire!" Yuna lamented.

"It's time for me to do something different." Shinra replied. "Who knows what may happen later, I might be back."

"Okay then, take care!" Yuna lifted Shinra up and hugged him, hardly something he could complain about. He too thought Yuna special, although he rarely displayed it.

"You have fun, okay?" Shinra said.

"You bet!" Yuna replied.

"Don't get into any trouble!" Brother yelled as Shinra stepped off the bridge and to the teleport sphere. Shinra faded from view and shortly thereafter Brother gave the Celsius some stick to start the short trip from the Calm Lands to Zanarkand.

"Hang tight, Yuna. I'm going to freshen up." Tidus said to Yuna.

"Alright then." Yuna replied. _He probably needs it. All these emotions and feelings had to be taking a toll on him. _As they were on her. _Maybe something where we can unwind...aha!!_

"Hey Buddy, Commsphere still works, right?" Yuna inquired

"In a couple of places, yes, why?"

"Just wondering." Yuna replied. She accessed the commsphere network and buzzed Guadosalam. A returning Guado answered and when requested by Yuna, retrieved Bayra from the troupe.

"Yes? Aah... I see... Yes, we can do that for you... That will be no problem at all... It will be finished within the hour... You're welcome... Anything for you, High Summoner Yuna." Bayra said. _Is that guy back? _He wondered as the conversation ended.

_Damn. _Both Buddy and Brother stared at each other, sharing the same thought at overhearing Yuna's end of the conversation. Conveniently, Tidus walked back onto the bridge just as Yuna signed off. He wrapped his arms around Yuna's waist and pulled her close, noticing an extra sparkle in her eyes to go with her alluring smile.

As the Celsius approached Zanarkand, a thought Tidus fought to suppress since he broke the surface off the shore of Besaid barged into his head. _What if this is all a dream? What if _I'm _still a dream? When I was a dream it didn't stop me from having them...Don't worry about it now...Cherish her. _

"Alright kiddos. Welcome to Zanarkand." Buddy called from his navigational post.

"Thank you very much, guys," Yuna said to Brother and Buddy. She started off the bridge hand in hand with Tidus.

"Yuna." Brother called.

"Yes?" The two turned around to see Brother standing where Shinra's former station was at.

"Would you mind if I have a word with him, in private, that is?" Brother asked.

"Not at all." Yuna replied.

"Good. I will not take long."

Yuna stepped off of the bridge and Tidus walked warily toward the Celsius cockpit. His previous experiences with Brother had not been the best, hearkening back to the time Rikku and the Al Bhed had rescued him from the underwater ruins, the place Sin/Jecht had deposited him in their thousand year tear through time. They became fierce rivals in the blitzball season two years ago when the Al Bhed Psyches kidnapped Yuna in an attempt to stop her pilgrimage. Things had come full circle now, however, and besides, the Al Bhed had good intentions, however ignorant of what they tried to stop.

"Yuna is happy, yes?" Brother spoke first. Tidus remained silent. "Take care of her."

"I will. Thanks." Tidus replied. Brother offered a handshake and Tidus obliged. Tidus turned and walked off the bridge. He made his way out of the airship and into the final base for Yuna's pilgrimage. He stepped off to the side of the nearby hill and peered out over the shore, where the sun sank under the ruins of what had once been his home city a thousand years before. The Celsius lifted off and touched down on the other side of Zanarkand's ruined dome, and Buddy and Brother did some research.

DISCLAIMER: From this point to the end of this disclaimer, I take no credit for the dialogue that occurs between Tidus and Yuna. You can find this dialogue upon viewing the Perfect Ending for Final Fantasy X-2. As you see, I have made a bridge of sorts

"I got a theory." Tidus began. "I think the Fayth gathered my thoughts and put them together to bring me back." Yuna stood and listened intently.

"Or maybe... I'm still a dream." Tidus said grimly. He didn't want to say it, but he felt he owed it to Yuna in case he did disappear again one day.

"Wait! So you'll disappear?" Yuna gasped. She hadn't thought about that grim possibility since he returned, and his last statement hit her like a punch to the gut. She had already started thinking about their future, and didn't want to face the prospect that it all could be taken away, again.

Tidus didn't have an answer to her question. Maybe he would fade again, maybe he wouldn't. Like Yuna, he thought about their future, however long or short it might be. He hated to see Yuna frown like that. It tore him up inside. He recalled what Yuna told him on their journey to Zanarkand. _I learned to smile when I'm sad. _It meant that Yuna, understandably, was very worried. He had to make her happy again. It was how he always wanted to remember her.

"Cherish me, Yuna. And I'll cherish you. Alright? We gotta stay together. That's what we have to do." Tidus spoke, in a reassuring tone. His words helped.

Yuna's frown reversed and she ran up to embrace him from behind. She held him close, making sure that she still felt his warmth. "Is that what the Fayth told you?" Yuna asked. _Maybe staying together is the key. Easy enough. _Yuna smiled at the thought.

"Naah... but I like it!" Tidus replied, in the mischievous tone that Yuna absolutely adored. They both started laughing when Yuna thought of something. She pushed Tidus from behind and he fell over the slight edge into the water. Tidus gasped more from the shock of being pushed like that than the instinctive grab for air one gets when unexpectedly dunked.

"Hey! That's not cherishing!" Tidus screamed to Yuna on the bank.

Call it intuition, call it instinct, call it a whim, call it anything. Somehow though, Yuna _knew. _"You didn't disappear." Yuna replied with a wide grin on her face and looked down upon the love of her life. Thoughts of them danced through her head with amazing speed but with remarkable clarity. Indeed some of those thoughts were not exactly kosher for a devout Yevonite, but could you blame someone who found her love when he joined her pilgrimage, the journey in which she sent herself to die? But she survived, and he faded. But he was back now.

Tidus caught what Yuna thought of his chances of disappearing again. "Whoa," Tidus looked at himself. He knew it too, _for some reason. I know now. _The two lovers gazed at each other, communicating clearly without words or gestures more complex than the shape of their smiles. After a minute Tidus climbed out and shook off the excess water drenching him before walking up the bank and back to Yuna.

END DISCLAIMER

"Let's get you dried off," Yuna said with a wink as they returned to the Celsius. There was one more trip to make on his first day back in Spira, although Tidus didn't know it at this point.


	2. Spring

Cherish

Chapter 2: Spring

Tidus waited impatiently on the back of the bridge, almost nude save for a towel that Yuna gave to him. His elaborate Zanarkand uniform always took a long time to dry, a fact he remembered from his days of blitzing in the sphere pools of Zanarkand and Luca. He was slightly nervous in a towel because Jecht and his mother had raised him not to lounge around the house after a shower, but Yuna didn't seem to mind so much, he thought.

Finally his clothes dried out and Tidus went to a private room Yuna pointed him to, to put them back on. After several minutes of buttoning, buckling, and strapping, he popped out, and stood with Yuna on the bridge as they watched the last slivers of the sun fall below the horizon.

In the distance ahead Tidus looked upon the boiling turmoil of the Thunder Plains, an area which invariably collected nearly every storm in Spira. Tidus thought it strange that the plains began falling out of view, because the Celsius descended upon an enchanting forest. Tidus was sure he recognized it, but something seemed...different. The forest seemed empty. As if it was dying. _Fading. _

"Where are we going?" Tidus asked, hoping that a new bed in Besaid beckoned to him. He was sure he knew where they were landing, but asked anyways, hoping for explanation.

"You'll see." Yuna replied. The tone of her voice and the smile she wore said more than the words she spoke.

_There. The place we retreated to after the ordeal in Bevelle. The spring. Where she was crying, everything became too much for her. And then it happened. That kiss. I don't know what came over me, I really had deep feelings for her then, but then we realized it really was love. _

Yuna led Tidus off the bridge as the Celsius settled nearby Oaka's Traveling AgencyThey teleported via the teleport sphere just outside the woods, on the cold, snowy surface nearby Lake Macalania. Tidus was sure of where he was being taken now. The two walked into the dark, mystical woods with their arms around each other.

"I'm a blitzer now." Yuna said to Tidus, wondering how shocked he would be at the revelation.

"Wow, really?" Tidus replied. _Yuna, a blitzer? _

"Yep, the Gullwings have their own team, and we took the place of the Besaid Aurochs this year. The Aurochs wanted to help take care of Vidina, sothey requested that we fill in for them."

"Damn! You need to show me some moves!" Tidus said as the two stepped on the longer branching path.

"Well, I'm not that great. I'm alright though. I'm more of a passer than anything. Brother scores the goals for us."

"Well, maybe we should change that." Tidus replied. _Yuna, a blitzer! We could play together! _

Yuna and Tidus discussed blitzball strategy as they walked upon branching path of Macalania Woods. Soon they stepped off that path. Both could not decide whether the walk took an instant or forever. But Tidus noticed as they made their way east, Yuna's squeeze on him became tighter. They reached a four way intersection, and the two stepped onto the southern path. They turned the corner, and then it came into view. The special place that both shared in their hearts, the place they affirmed their love. Nearby on the shore was a soft blue sphere, set to an enchanting romantic song that neither had heard before. To the side lay a soft blue picnic blanketand above it from a branch dangled a light sphere that gave the area a pale glow.

Yuna stepped out of her boots and splashed her feet in the spring. Although it was fading, the place still seemed as mesmerizing as beforealbeit in a different light. _Just as romantic, if not more so. _Yuna judged. She waded back on shore and wrapped Tidus in her arms, gazing into his eyes.

"You remember the time two years ago..." Tidus asked rhetorically.

"Did it go like this?" Yuna interrupted. She pressed her lips to his, and after another kiss, Yuna drew back.

"Something like that." Tidus returned.

"You know why I brought you here?" Yuna asked with a sheepish but adorable grin. Game.

"Well, it's pretty special for us both, isn't it?" Tidus replied in a faux dodge.

"I thought Wakka had an excellent suggestion." The look on Yuna's face turned from adorable and alluring to sultry and sexy. Yuna whispered Wakka's greeting to the two into his ear in a clearly seductive but sheepish tone, as if someone might still be looking. Set.

Tidus could not completely hide his reaction to what Yuna whispered into his ear. He had imagined that it would be him making the first move. Instead, Yuna had taken total control of the moment, and it had taken Tidus off guard. _That isn't a bad thing though, is it? But whoa, she has certainly broken out of her shell. _

Tidus turned to the left and looked over at the picnic blanket that lay on the ground. Above it the light sphere spread its light in a hypnotizing pattern, making its pitch. He turned his gaze back to Yuna and her face. Her alluring eyes and her soft, now sexy and confident smile erased any last trace from hesitation from his mind. Match.

Tidus swept Yuna off of her feet, and decided that the light blue blanket covering the ground wasn't for having a picnic after all.

-------------------------

Tidus lay on his side next to Yuna, and whispered into her ear "I love you honey."

Yuna blinked, her eyes radiantly twinkling and replied. "I love you too." Yuna gave a couple of smooches to Tidus and Tidus returned them. As both lay on their sides Tidus wrapped his arms around her. It was time for some small talk.

"What do you think the future will hold for us?" Tidus asked.

"It's already a dream come true," Yuna replied with her soft smile.

"Interesting. Am I that dream?" Tidus asked, thinking correctly what Yuna meant by the words.

"Come true, yes." Yuna emphasized.

"Tidus, I love you." Yuna spoke softly.

It was this moment when his eyes started to well up. He thought about it all. About how it all started with Sin, then after being rescued by the Al Bhed, he washed up on the island of Besaid. That's where Tidus first met her, at that time about to begin her pilgrimage. He remembered hanging with the group into Luca, where the original plan was for him to be dropped off and departed from her journey, _from her. _However, Auron's request had changed that, and ultimately, the fate of all Spira, not just the fate of him and Yuna. Yuna's outlook and spirit was amazing, a testament to the girl she was. _Here she was, walking the path that would have inevitably led in her death,_ _and yet she was cheering ME up. _But no, he was asked to be her guardian, and they found another way. _Another way to defeat Sin, and for good_. And Yuna didn't have to die! But he did. And even after he faded, she still loved him as much as he loved her. Tidus thought it revolting that someone would dare use such a magnificent and pure girl to help destroy Spira, and he thought it equally disturbing if anything ever happened to Yuna again. Tidus thought himself unworthy of his recent twist of fate, having been doomed only to memory, but now brought back to flesh and blood and returned to the arms of an angel who truly loved him as much as he loved her.

"Yuna?"

"Yes?"

"Would you have…?"

Yuna cut him off. "Definitely not."

"I didn't finish though."

"No, not with anyone but you." Yuna returned with an embrace.

Tidus let it go. He sobbed as the weight and reality of being brought back to life, to Yuna, although a decidedly pleasant reality at that, hit him like a ton of bricks. Yuna cradled his head to her chest until he finally cried himself to sleep.

"Sweet dreams." Yuna whispered as she kissed his forehead.

-------------

"What do you think they're up to?" Rikku asked, sure she already knew the answer.

"I think what we're going to do now." Paine replied in a sultry tone.

It was the fact that Rikku thought she already knew the answer that made her startled by Paine's reply. In fact, the two had come out to each other earlier in the cabin, a product of drifting off the subject of Yuna and her newly found love Tidus. That had resulted in some playful cuddling for the past hour. Rikku, however, despite her usual sense of adventure was nervous about taking things any further.

"Um?" Rikku stammered, wondering if she was correct in her assumption.

"How about it?" Paine replied, shedding the remnants of her shell. Rikku wondered if she could find the pieces that Yuna and Paine had shed somewhere in the Celsius. Yuna's shell had once consisted of innocent shyness, and Paine's one of dark isolation.

"But if we're caught…" Rikku stalled.

"Quit stalling, Rikku," Paine replied, again calling a spade a spade.

"But if my dad…"

"Your dad is in Zanarkand." Paine pointed out.

"But if Brother…"

"Shut up already." Paine planted a kiss directly on Rikku's lips.

_For that matter, where's the shell that I put up that lasted all of a minute?_

_-------------_

Yuna awoke groggily to find his face, his baby blue eyes, his gorgeous blond hair, and his sly smile staring right at her. She was greeted with a "Good morning, baby."

_He definitely wasn't a dream, or maybe he was, but one that came true._ Yuna smiled. "My dream, come true."

"How'd you sleep?" Tidus asked.

"Wonderfully. You?"

"I thought I'd be afraid to." Tidus admitted. "I thought it'd be like waking from a dream."

"I see," Yuna replied and embraced Tidus.

"When am I going to be able to see your blitzball moves?" Tidus asked, changing the subject.

"Today at noon!" Yuna replied. "We have practice today in preparation for tomorrow's game!"

"In that case, we better get moving!" Tidus replied.

"Wait a sec! We need to get back to Besaid!" Yuna interrupted.

"What for?" Tidus asked.

"There's someone in Besaid who just moved in, and I heard he didn't have a bed yet so I'm going to order one for him."

Tidus smiled. _YES!_


	3. Pregame

**Cherish: Pre-game**

The distinct whistle indicated that Tidus needed her attention; rather, the Gullwings' attention. Yuna exited the sphere pool, followed by the rest of the Gullwings blitzball team. They walked into the locker room where Tidus stood in the center, ready to ask questions.

"Okay, I have a question. Is 1-2-4, I mean, one front-man, two middle-men, and four backers the only scheme you ever use in the eight-man format?" Tidus asked.

Brother responded. "Yeah, it is all we ever need."

"I see." Tidus replied. "Well, I see its value on defense, but frankly, I think it's awfully static for an offense."

"What do you mean?" Brother responded evenly. "It has been quite sufficient for us."

"But you aren't scoring. The defense keys in on you Brother, and it's hard for you to score that way. And it's hard for Yuna and Rikku to score because they're set at midfield."

"I see your point."

"Perhaps a 2-2-3 offense?" Tidus suggested.

"What about a 3-1-3 offense?" Brother returned.

"Ooh damn I like the way you think." Tidus liked the idea. "That way, you have multiple threats that no defense can eliminate all at once. I suggest you have your front people really work on scoring though."

"Definitely." Brother agreed.

After a couple more minutes of discussion, the team returned to the sphere pool. The team took their assigned places, and Yuna and Rikku worked on shooting at Shinra with Brother. Shinra despite his small size, proved a formidable challenge for the three. Brother and Rikku were able to score against him relatively well, but Yuna had much trouble and Shinra made her look like the rookie she was. After practice concluded, the team huddled in Luca's locker rooms to debrief.

Here, Tidus thought it difficult what to say to Yuna, who desperately needed help in attacking the goal. Mercifully, Yuna brought up the subject first.

"Maybe… I should be moved to the back." Yuna frowned.

"Why?" Tidus asked, trying to sound indifferent to all teammates.

"I can't score well at all. You saw."

"But you're fast!" Tidus pointed out. _It was the truth, wasn't it?_

"Why don't you try putting some spin on the ball?" Buddy suggested. "Make the ball curve in, deceive the goalie. Ya know?"

"Like a corkscrew?" Yuna clarified.

"Ah… yes. Like a corkscrew." Brother confirmed.

"I could never do it myself. I tried it in a desperate bid to be worth moving up to the frontlines, but I couldn't do it. My feet were too big." Buddy explained. "But you, you have smaller, more pointed feet. You should be able to do it once you learn.

"Ah yes, I see!" Yuna replied.

"The rate you learn, let's not forget, you'll have it down by game time tomorrow." Tidus joked.

Unfortunately, Yuna would have no time today to practice the shot in the water. Taking up their scheduled practice was the Luca Goers.

"Hey Tee!" Rikku called to Tidus as everyone departed.

"Oh hey Rikku! Wassup?"

"I'm quitting. Want my spot?" Rikku asked.

"Nah, you can keep it. I'm too rusty. Maybe next year though." Tidus replied. "Besides, I'm still not too familiar with this eight man scheme."

"Well, either way, I'm quitting." Rikku replied, taking the initiative away. "I'm just tired of playing."

"But…" Tidus interjected. _Are you always this whimsical? _

"I'm done." Rikku interrupted.

"Alright then."

--------------

"Hey there Yuna!" Wakka greeted as Yuna walked in. "Where is he? He didn't disappear again, did he?"

"Oh no! He had some things to wrap up in Luca. He's helping out with the team now." Yuna explained. "Say, how's Vidina?"

"Keeping us awake at night." Wakka grumbled. "And he sleeps all through the day too! Ungrateful!"

"The usual, huh?" Yuna commented. Both she and Wakka turned their heads when they heard a high pitched whistle in the distance.

"There he is!" Yuna cheered. Lulu walked in.

"What did you two do last night?" Wakka asked.

"Last night? Us?" Yuna fumbled. "Just, some re-acquaintance time."

"Is that what they call it these days?" Wakka observed. _If she thinks she's hiding a secret, there's another thing coming. Not that I can blame her though. What would anyone else do with all both of them have been through? The poor girl tried all her life to make everyone else happy. She deserves some happiness in return. _

"Wakka!" Lulu scolded.

"I guess you can tell." Yuna said.

"Well, you always were horrible with secrets." Lulu replied

"Watch this!" Yuna told both Wakka and Lulu, effectively changing the subject. The three walked out and Yuna grabbed the Aurochs' idle blitzball. As Tidus returned to town and waved at the trio, Yuna kicked the ball, making a v-line for Tidus's head. Before he could dodge, the ball curved and whizzed by his head, separated by a scant few inches.

"Are you trying to kill me?" Tidus screamed.

"How do you like my corkscrew shot?" Yuna beamed.

"Uh….wow. Already you learn? You always learn so fast!" Tidus exclaimed.

"Not always! It took over a day in the Chamber of the Fayth before I became a summoner!" Yuna pointed out.

"Besides that though!" Tidus chuckled. "First the whistle, then blitzball, now this corkscrew shot!"

"It still doesn't curve as much as I want it to."

"That's what practice is for."

Wakka chimed in again. "Say, what were you two lovebirds up to last night?" This time he asked Tidus. Tidus swallowed his breath and Wakka prodded again, raising his eyebrow, the Rock style.

"Dammit Wakka, I said you didn't have to watch!" Tidus yelled, wondering if he was supposed to be serious or not. Yuna, Wakka, and Lulu busted out in laughter.

"Hey hey now!" Wakka replied after regaining his composure. "It hasn't exactly been a picnic for you two the last few years now, has it?"

Both Tidus and Yuna remained silent. "Take care of each other, ya?" Wakka added. Tidus and Yuna nodded in reply.

"So, how do you like the team? The Gullwings that is?" Wakka asked, changing the subject.

"I think we're ready to rock!" Tidus replied.

"Good, you going to win?"

"Hell yeah! How could we not? Unfortunately, Rikku quit, so I won't be observing from the sidelines. I'll be playing now. So forgive me Yuna if I'm a bit rusty."

"What? Why did she quit?" Yuna asked, shocked.

"She just wanted to. You know how quirky she is." Tidus replied.

"Bah, you'll do fine, ya? A thousand years never stopped you, why should two?" Wakka replied.

"Hey now Wakka, there's a difference!" Tidus shot back. I fast forwarded a thousand years, but these past two years I've been gone!"

"Aaaah, you'll still whip Kilika's ass." Wakka encouraged.

"You make it sound like I'm downing myself, Wakka." Tidus replied flatly.

"Oh no, I'm not trying to do that, ya? Just trying to get you pumped up for the game."

"Alright Wakka, like I need it." Tidus grinned slyly.

"Say you two, it's getting close to bedtime. Vidina needs his nap. I'll see you two around, ya?"

"Sure thing, Wakka," Yuna replied.

"Later old man." Tidus replied.

"Old man?" Wakka shot back. "I'll have you know…."

"You are retired, ya?" Tidus winked as he walked out with Yuna.

--------------

As the sun set to the east, Tidus looked around and realized that he had never visited Yuna's home in Besaid. _In fact, by the time Wakka took me ashore, Yuna probably had emptied her place out, thinking she'd never see it again._ The two sat down in the square where a campfire was reaching for its final gasps of oxygen, and dimming fast.

"So Yuna, tell me what you did before you went on the little trip of yours." Tidus commanded.

"Nothing, really. I just stayed here in Besaid, passing along my days, waiting for your whistle." Yuna replied.

"Tell me, what if my whistle never came?" Tidus continued.

"Then I don't know, I, I just don't know." Yuna looked to the ground, as if embarrassed to speak.

"What is it that you want now? You blitz, you looked for spheres, and you even sang. It seems to me you had a bit of an identity crisis." Tidus replied frankly.

"I guess I did." Yuna said. "All I ever truly wanted though was to have you by my side. That's all I ever want."

"Aah, the fire's going out." Tidus replied. "Time for us to head in."

"Okay." Yuna replied with a smile.

"You know Yuna, I don't think I've ever seen your home. I know I didn't when Wakka picked me up." Tidus replied with a slick grin.

"That's right!" Yuna realized. "You haven't! Just follow me, it's this way." Yuna pointed to a narrow path in the thicket behind Wakka's and Lulu's home. She led Tidus by the hand until Tidus swept her up in his arms.

"Hey now!" Yuna playfully objected.

"I tell you what, High Summoner Yuna. You point me in the right direction, and I'll take you there.

---------------------

"Look at those two." Lulu said, peering out of the window.

"They're something else, ya?" Wakka replied.

"Indeed. Why, or how did he come back?" Lulu wondered aloud.

"It beats me. It sure is nice to see him back though, ya? The two deserve each other." Wakka replied.

Lulu chuckled. "Something for them to think about?"

"How long before we hear wedding bells, ya?" Wakka prodded.

"Come on, let them get used to having each other again before we wonder about their plans. Just because we moved fast doesn't mean they have to."

"I bet a week, ya?" Wakka continued. "After all they've been through? Maybe not even that long."

"Wakka!" Lulu scolded.

"Come on, how long?" Wakka persisted.

"Dammit Wakka!" Lulu groaned. "Alright, three months."

"Really? That long?"

"At least."

"Naw…" Wakka replied. "I'll place a thousand gil on it."

"It's a bet then."

------------------------

"This is it!" Yuna said, referring to her home.

Compared to the rest of the huts in Besaid, Yuna's hardly stood out, except for the fact that it didn't lead directly to town square. _Pretty much what I thought._

"Home, my princess." Tidus smiled to Yuna, still cradled in his arms.

"Princess?" Yuna asked. Where did that come from?"

"Well, you are." Tidus replied.

"I don't want to be a ruler though." Yuna sulked.

"You're my princess though, isn't that good enough?"

"Alright then." Yuna smiled and place a kiss on Tidus's lips.

Tidus side stepped the entrance; Yuna reached and flipped the switch to her light sphere, revealing the depths of her dwelling. _Again, it's hardly one to stand out, just everything belongs to her…and me._

"Isn't that Chappu's sword?" Tidus asked, pointing to the watery blue long-sword that dangled off a nail to her wall.

"It sure is." Yuna replied.

"I figured Wakka would've liked it back."

"He let me keep it," Yuna explained. "Said that it might be nice if I had something to remember you by, like he had with Chappu. I even used it a couple of times when we encountered some fiends. I had it tied into the garment grids we had."

"Garment grids?"

"Oh, they're the things Rikku, Paine, and I used to harness the power of the dresspheres we had."

"Dresspheres?" Tidus asked, bewildered.

"Yeah, they're spheres that when hooked onto the grid that Shinra invented, they allow us certain powers and abilities. I should show you." Yuna explained.

"Show me later." Tidus replied. He swept Yuna back into his arms and made his way toward the back of the house. "Where is my bedroom?" Tidus asked, gazing deeply into Yuna's eyes.

"Right here." Yuna pointed to their right. Tidus looked in, seeing a queen size bed complete with plush fluffy pillows and crimson silk sheets. _Yeah, Yuna sleeps here, but…_ "That's your new bedroom." Yuna said with a devilish smile.

"Wow…" Tidus breathed. Yuna giggled in return.

"Shall we?" Tidus asked.

"Yes."

_How could cute and innocent sound so sexy?_

Last night, the two spent the night locked together, with as much flesh as possible touching the other, feeling each other, each trying to make sure the other was real as well as conveying a never-dying love and yearning. If you could have picked a song for Tidus and Yuna to make love to, last night would have been "Far Away" by Nickelback. Tonight, their theme song would have been "Animals". Tonight would be a much more carnal experience now that both were sure that they weren't doomed to a one and done, it was time to experiment.

---------------------------

"Ya know, I think Yuna needs to make sure her foundation is secure. She might want to soundproof her home as well." Wakka commented. That earned him a smack to the face from Lulu in reply.


	4. Season of the Blitz

**Cherish: Season of the Blitz**

Warm-ups were over. It was now time to get it on. The game was blitzball, a furious, intense sport like soccer, but played underwater. Paine set up at midfield with her Kilika counterpart and caught the opening volley. She threw a deep shuttle pass to Tidus, testing his abilities outright. Tidus caught it, and a Kilika defender rushed to block, but Tidus sphere shot over him and into the goal, giving the Gullwings a one-zero lead just seconds into the first half. Tidus decided his first competitive touch in two years was a fairly successful one. On the Beasts' first possession, they kept the ball on the Gullwings' outside perimeter, eating up clock but managing eventually to drive deep into Gullwings territory. Tidus motioned a shift into a goal-line, or two tiered three-four defense, but in the shuffle a Kilika player managed to slip past Yuna for an open shot. Buddy moved to block but deflected it past Shinra to tie the game at 3:24 in the first half.

Paine settled back after receiving the ball, allowing Tidus, Brother, and Yuna to form an offensive spearhead. The back teammates rushed forward to set up a screen. Paine passed to Yuna, who had an open shot, but hesitated and instead threw to Tidus. Tidus caught the pass and saw that he had no shot, and passed it to Brother. Brother took the open shot but was blocked by the Kilika goalie finishing the first half in a one to one tie.

"Okay, what happened?" Tidus asked Buddy in the locker room.

"I just didn't get enough of a hand on it." Buddy replied.

"Alright. I think we're sound fundamentally. We have to keep getting open though. Yuna, you have to take the open shot!"

"I know." Yuna replied sheepishly.

With halftime over, the team took back to the pool.

Kilika got the ball first this time, and instead of the suffocating offense earlier, they threw a dagger to the heart of the Gullwings' defense. A long dish gave the Gullwings little time to react and Kilika scored immediately, taking the lead two to one, thirty-two seconds into the second half. With a sense of urgency, Paine dished the pass off to Tidus. Tidus drew two defenders and threw over them to Brother. Yuna covered one defender, and brother snuck the ball into the top left corner of the goal, tying the game at two apiece. Kilika returned to its slow, methodical offense, eating time from the clock and got a man deep to score. Buddy intercepted the shot and threw a bomb out to Yuna at midfield. Yuna saw Tidus race for the goal and threw her own Hail Mary to him. Her pass was spot on, but Tidus fumbled it, and a Kilika defender scooped it up on a fast break back to the Gullwings' goal. He faked Shinra and scored to put Kilika up three to two with fifty-one seconds remaining. Paine took the inbound pass and drew back. Brother and Tidus both were covered by two defenders. Yuna's lone defender strayed forward as Paine fell back, and Paine took the opportunity to feed her the ball. Yuna took the pass and found she had an open shot. She shot the ball, as expected, traveling in the direction she intended. Her first competitive attempt at the corkscrew shot was supposed to arch into the goal. It didn't. It drifted wide left as time expired, and so the Gullwings lost.

The team returned to the locker room dejected and down, especially Yuna. She started things by saying "I'm sorry guys."

Tidus put a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, it isn't just you hun. I'm the one who dropped the pass and I had an open shot."

"But I could have taken the shot before halftime." Yuna pointed out.

"Remember that next time." Tidus replied.

Brother chimed in as well. "So, you didn't master the corkscrew shot after what…one day of practice? It's not on just you. We win and lose together. It's on all of us."

"I could block better." Shinra reminded everyone.

"Okay, I think we need to shore up a few things, and we will. We still have fifteen games left. Let's win them!"

--------------

And win them they did. Tidus quickly returned to form, and Yuna mastered the corkscrew shot, wreaking havoc with the opposing defense. The triple threat of Yuna, Tidus, and Brother proved too much for most teams to handle, and the Gullwings had the best season ever recorded for a rookie team, finishing at thirteen wins and three losses, and securing the coveted bye straight into the semifinals. The team set records in points scored, offensive time of possession, and takeaways.

They studied the game ahead of them, the Luca Goers against the Al Bhed Psyches. The Gullwings went 2-1 against Luca, and 3-0 against the Psyches. Luca won that game in dominating fashion, with a score of 4-0. A game with Luca was always a dogfight, no matter who played them. Always physical and always rough, Luca finished the regular season 12-4, and never lost by more than a single point.

-------------

"Guys, we're going to be very physical with them. We're going to have to be fast, aggressive, and we're going to show them that we're the baddest motherfuckers ever to play blitzball!" Tidus got the group fired up. "We're going to trick 'em, trap 'em, and send them packing with much more than the pain of defeat!"

The media gave a half-point advantage in the game to the Gullwings, with a score of 1.5 to 1.0, which meant that it could go either way, but it did predict a defensive struggle. The press could not have been more wrong.

Paine took the jump ball and pitched it back to Biggs. Biggs threw a corkscrew pass behind his back, skimming the edge of the sphere pool until Tidus snatched it out of its arching path. The lone defender on his side was Bickson and Tidus dispatched him with a well placed elbow. Raudy proved no match as Tidus scored first. Luca's first possession ended quickly when Paine intercepted the long pass downfield and fed it to Brother. A screen by Tidus eliminated his opposition and although Raudy got a hand on Brother's shot, it still went in to put the Gullwings up two to nothing.

The Goers settled down on their next possession. They withstood an onslaught from the Gullwings defense to drive deep into their territory. Bickson took the open shot but Shinra deflected it back into play. Another Luca player got another shot but Shinra deflected it back again. Unfortunately it bounced off Brother and back in to bring Luca back two to one.

Paine took the inbound pass and dished it off to Buddy as the offensive perimeter set up. Balgerda gave Yuna a hard time, although Tidus was open. Buddy threw the bomb and Tidus caught it. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Balgerda and Yuna getting into it. He knocked out his two rushing defenders with his father's famous shot and scored once again. The whistle blew after that and Tidus looked over to see Yuna writhing and Balgerda dashing from the scene.

Tidus called a timeout and the team huddled around Yuna, who clutched her ribs and stomach. He motioned for her to go to the locker room. He looked around to see what would be done about Balgerda. The answer: nothing. Yuna managed to vacate the pool on her own and play resumed for the final minute.

Taking advantage of having an extra man, Luca screened its way down to Shinra's goal, but Shinra managed to keep the ball out to go into halftime with the Gullwings up three to one.

---------------

"Yuna, are you okay?" Brother asked as the team walked into the locker room.

"Oooh," Yuna cringed. "Yeah, I just need to catch my breath."

"What happened?" Tidus asked.

"I took a knee to the gut." Yuna explained. "Doctor says I can play, but I have a bruised rib."

"Ouch." Tidus, Brother, and Buddy observed at the same time.

"I'll be alright." Yuna breathed.

"You sure?"

"Yeah."

"Okay, we're doing great!" Tidus began. "We can't let up though! They're going to have more than hurt pride, remember?"

"Right!!!"

"Remember, keep attacking! Rest right now though, save your energy!"

--------------

With halftime over, the teams made their way back into the sphere pool to start the second half. Luca received the ball first and made a beautiful dash to the goal, scoring quickly to tighten the score to 3-2. Paine took the inbound pass and threw it to an unusually open Tidus, but he paid the price as he was gang-tackled by three Luca defenders, and they intercepted the ball. Hardly a fair way to play the game, the home team didn't receive a foul. Tidus was rendered sore and hurting as Luca tied the game up halfway through the second half. Matters became worse when Luca intercepted the inbound pass and scored yet again, taking the lead 4-3 with a minute remaining. Paine took the inbound pass one more time and threw the ball to Tidus. He was covered by three but managed to dish it back to Paine. Yuna shed her defender, and Tidus suffered another beat down at the expense of having Brother and Yuna open. Paine threw it to Yuna, and upon receiving the pass, stiff-armed her tired defender and corkscrewed the final shot of the game. The ball's path went according to plan, drawing Raudy down towards the lower end of his goal. Then the ball knuckled upwards. Raudy dove for it and nicked it with his fingertips, deflecting it into the crossbar and…out. Gullwings lost. It was a textbook shot outdone only by exceptional reaction.

----------------------------

Dejected, the Gullwings made their way out of the sphere pool as Luca taunted and celebrated yet another championship. Brother kicked in the door to their locker room in anger as Tidus woefully made his way in, hurting and sore. Everyone was going to feel this for days to come; everyone had been roughed up in the game with Luca.

"This sucks, doesn't it?" Tidus grimaced. "I guess we got outreffed." Tidus was referring to the flagrant beatdowns that weren't called. "And they're just better. Ugh, dammit, let's do this again next year. We'll make it next year."

"I would, but I'm retiring, if you remember." Shinra replied.

"Of course."

"Guess this really is the last time, huh?" Yuna lamented.

"Naah, I'm sure you'll be around." Shinra replied.

"Okay then, one last hug." Yuna said. Shinra got it, at the expense of the bruising pain.

"Well guys, next year, eh?" Tidus offered.

"Of course!"

"Hell yeah!"

"Definitely!"

"Very well, next year it is…" Tidus replied.

Tidus and Yuna teleported onto the Celsius along with Brother, Buddy, Paine, and Rikku. The rest of the team went their separate ways.

"I guess we're going to head back to Besaid. Rikku, Paine, behave now." Yuna said with a wink. Both froze in their tracks.

"W-what?" Rikku stammered. _No one was supposed to know!_

"Trust me, I know." Yuna replied.

"How?" Paine asked.

"Well, isn't this a YRP secret?" Yuna asked in reply.

"It should be." Paine spoke more evenly this time.

"Then don't worry. Anyways, we're out." Yuna and Tidus disappeared from view.

"What was that all about?" Tidus asked Yuna.

"Shhhh. They've finally hitched up! It's about time too!" Yuna replied. "It was getting so obvious!"

"THEM?"

----------------------

"Hey guys! You all got screwed, eh?" Wakka greeted.

"Well, they punched us in the mouth pretty good." Tidus observed.

"Ah, happens every year, ya? We always called the refs Luca's seventh man, or ninth nowadays."

"Yeah, I see what you mean." Tidus replied. Vidina started crying in the background.

"Hold on a sec!" Wakka dashed back to grab him. "I think he heard company."

"Waaaaah!" was all Vidina could manage.

"Hey there little blitzball player!" Tidus teased. Vidina stopped crying and started cooing.

"How magical." Lulu commented, entering the hut. "You have a way with kids, you know."

"I always did, I guess. The kids in Zanarkand always wanted me to teach them blitzball." Tidus said, remembering the days of his hometown. "I always said, 'maybe the morning after!' and sure enough, they'd make sure I gave them their lessons! Anyways, I think it's time for us to go home."

"Yeah, we're pretty sore." Yuna added.

"Alright, get plenty of rest, eh?"

"Definitely. Take care now!" Yuna said as the two waved goodbye.

"Ugh…" Tidus grunted. "I could sure use a hot bath."

Yuna wrapped her arm around him and playfully prodded. "What's this 'I' business?" Yuna blushed.

"I didn't mean it literally!" Tidus playfully shot back, and then saw Yuna blushing. _She tries her best to break out of that shell she has, but she's always that shy, timid, kind summoner girl. She might say some things she wouldn't have before, but she's still that same girl I fell in love with. More outgoing than before, but the same lovely girl. _Tidus judged.

Not once in the four months since Tidus's return had the two spent a whole day apart. Perhaps that would change tomorrow, Tidus thought.

"Tell me Yuna. If I disappear again, what would you do?" Tidus asked.

"You won't." Yuna replied.

"Hypothetically speaking, I mean." Tidus clarified.

"You're not leaving again, and I'm going to love you forever, and ever, and ever, and ever. How about that?"

_That settled it._

"Yuna, I'll never let you go. Not now, not ever, okay?" Tidus whispered in her ear, standing behind and wrapping his arms around her waist. Yuna rested her head on his shoulder.

"Forever?" Yuna asked.

"And beyond." Tidus confirmed.

"Oww, I think it's time for that bath." Yuna moaned, rubbing her rib as another shot of pain flared up.

"Me too." Tidus feigned a groan and walked Yuna inside.


	5. A New Journey

**Cherish- A Journey Begun to a Journey Made**

The sun rose on a new day in Besaid. Tidus was up early and had already hit the local shop before heading out. With luck, he'd be back by nightfall. To Yuna, he was headed out to Luca to scout the championship game between the Luca Goers and the Guado Glories. He hated lying to her, he never wanted to do it, but hopefully someday she would understand. In reality he was headed to Mi'ihen, where Lord Rin had taken up residence in one of his many traveling agencies. The trip was uneventful, with the many services rendered throughout Spira in large part due to Lady Yuna's Calm.

Tidus turned the rocky face and walked up to see Rin already outside peering over the cliffs into the ocean below.

"Why, how have you been?" Rin said as Tidus walked up. "Might I say you looked very good this season, an impressive comeback for a two year hiatus."

"It's in my blood." Tidus replied confidently. He then switched to Al Bhed so no one around him could understand. "I understand you are a jack of all trades, Rin. I was wondering…"

"Yes?"

Tidus continued with his idea, an idea that had Rin highly interested.

"You know, I believe I can help you out…Tell you what, pick two. The second will be on me…Yes, yes, I agree…Very wise…It was very nice doing business with you again."

"What was that about?" Rin's assistant asked as Tidus walked away. Rin found it hard to constrain the publicist/gossiper/showman of him, but he somehow managed it. "Ssh…I can't say. It's a secret.

_ Must be an interesting one, if Rin is keeping it. _

"Hey Yuna, someone's here to see you!" Lulu called into the front door.

Yuna was up already, lazily struggling through her chores as she nursed the injuries she suffered in the semifinal loss to the Luca Goers. She barely gave acknowledgement to Lulu when she heard some chirping chatter. She stepped out to see the gigantic chocobo and a young slender lady astride it.

"What are you doing here Calli?" Yuna shouted.

"Exploring Spira!" Calli replied. "Besaid sure is beautiful!"

"That it is!"

"It's been my dream to explore Spira on a chocobo, and wow is it fun!"

"Whoaaa! I haven't seen one of these babies in a long time!" Tidus gasped as he walked back home.

"You remember her, don't you?" Yuna asked Tidus.

"You…you're that girl from Mi'ihen, right?" Tidus hoped that answer would be enough, because he could not remember her name.

"Yep, that's me, Calli!"

_ Whew. _"Wow, you sure have grown, ya know?"

"I've been out exploring Spira ever since Lady Yuna's Calm began! It's awesome on a chocobo!"

"Would you like to say here for the night?" Yuna offered.

"No thanks. I think I'll explore more of the island. I'm quite self sufficient!"

"Okay then. We'll see you around?"

"Yep yep!" With that, Calli rode her chocobo back into town.

An uneventful evening led to the last part of Tidus's journey in the morning. Again, he was blitzball scouting, but in reality, after getting on the mainland via the Celsius, Tidus paid the hover operator to take him all the way to the Moonflow. After that, he made the lengthy walk to Lake Macalania. Tidus saw the agency up against the ice shelf, and sure enough, O'aka XXIII was out languishing in the cold, looking for a customer.

"Hey ol' buddy, I haven't seen ye around for a while, eh?" O'aka greeted.

"Yeah, it's been a while." Tidus chuckled. "Listen, could I ask a favor from you?"

"Uh-huh…oh really?...Wow. "Tell ye what, since ye've been such great customers, this one will be on me…Sure, really lad. Let ol' O'aka get to work for ye!"

_ Awesome! _

It was after sunset when Tidus finally set back for home, but he'd be there quickly thanks to the teleportation sphere network set up by the men of the Celsius throughout Spira. He stepped onto the Celsius briefly before touching down once again in Besaid, just outside town. Upon entering town, Tidus saw a campfire set up in the square being tended to by Wakka, with Lulu and Yuna sitting close by. Tidus of course walked up and sat next to Yuna.

"So, how did the scouting go?" Wakka asked, setting up the conversation.

"It went pretty good! There's a bunch of players out there whose contracts are up, and are looking for new employment. Maybe we can pick up a few backups out there." Which wasn't entirely a lie.

"Good man. Just leave a few scraps for Besaid, ya?"

"Sure thing, Wakka. How have things been here?"

"Quiet. Tomorrow, more quiet. That's Besaid for ya."

"That's it?"

"Ya, that's it."

Tidus turned to Yuna and wondered what he should say. Hardly anything came to mind; Tidus was drawing blanks.

"Yuna?"

"Yes?"

"Hey guys!" Calli swooped in on her chocobo, making quite the scene.

"Hey Calli! Whatcha up to?" Yuna greeted.

"I just finished exploring the island! "Very pretty!" The teenager explained.

"Great! What are you going to do now?" Yuna asked.

"I'm going to go to Kilika in the morning, but before that, think I can stay at your place tonight?"

_ Damn _ Tidus thought.

"Of course you can!" Yuna replied.

_ Oh well, it wouldn't be her if she said no. It is one of the things I love about her. _

Yuna and Calli left to prepare her room as Tidus tended to the fire. Wakka walked up to him.

"Yuna sure loves to say yes, doesn't she?" Wakka commented.

"Yeah, she does. She always did." Tidus replied.

"It just wasn't meant to be." Wakka said as he walked off.

"What?"

Tidus awoke groggily the next morning to find a note on the table. "Thanks for everything," it read and was signed by Calli. She had already disappeared, Tidus noticed. Tidus took a walk down to the beach and began skipping rocks on the smooth ocean, contemplating everything that had happened in the last several years.

"Thank you, dad." Tidus spoke into the crisp, cool air.

"You're welcome kiddo." A voice returned out of thin air. It sounded like Jecht, but was it?

"Father?" Tidus almost screamed, bewildered and looking around frantically.

"Haha!" A laugh, and then the voice faded away. It had to be him, playing games from the Farplane.

"So what did Jecht have to say?" Yuna asked as she walked up. Tidus turned around to see her make her way down to him on the beach.

"My old man? Nothing as usual. Just cutting up."

"I see."

"Did I mention how beautiful you look this morning?" Tidus said as he held her.

"Oh, stop it!" Yuna blushed.

"It's true though."

"Say, did you speak with the others?" Yuna asked, meaning with her father, Lord Braska, and Sir Auron.

Tidus thought for a moment and spoke. In his mind he was grasping for something to say out of his head, but he did not realize he was about to say the same thing Braska said to her daughter as she struggled against Vegnagun. "Your father says he loves you, and he's sorry. He wants you to be strong." Tidus didn't realize it, but he answered one of Yuna's questions about his whereabouts during his disappearance. Yuna made the connection, and the realization chilled her.

_ He was in the Farplane, with them. That means he must have been…dead? No Yuna, he isn't dead. He's right here, with me. He's alive. He's not disappearing again. _Yuna only nodded outwardly. Tidus turned to her and embraced her, holding her close to him.

The day passed uneventfully with a cold front passing through, reinforcing a cold nip in the air. The campfire was started early and burned brightly into the night. The cold forced most of the townsfolk to return inside much earlier, but Wakka and Lulu remained with Yuna and Tidus around the circle, and the four discussed many things, such as blitzball and the continuing presence of fiends.

"Well, it's cold out here. It's probably time we get back in, ya?" Wakka said, dismissing himself and Lulu. Tidus and Yuna waved them goodbye as Wakka handed something over to Lulu, then Tidus walked up to the hill on the left.

"Yuna?"

"Yes?"

"You remember this spot?"

"How could I forget?" Yuna replied as she stood and walked to Tidus. "This is where we first met."

"Yeah, after I barged into the cloister of trials…and yet you chose to speak to me, after I defiled one of the teachings."

"False teachings." Yuna reminded Tidus.

"Away from the summoner!" The town's elder lady shouted upon walking out of her hut.

"It's okay!" Yuna reassured her. "He's a great guy!"

"You too, Yuna? What is this world coming to?" She grumbled, and then walked back into her dwelling.

"Where was I?" Tidus asked. "Oh yeah, but you still had it in you to talk to me, that kindness and pure heart that I love. You weren't supposed to, but you did. Don't you remember how awkward it was, that first time we met?"

Yuna giggled. "It was very awkward."

"We started a journey together that day. It was happy, and full of laughter, just like you said it would be, Yuna. You made it so. I love that so much about you. Well, this is going to be just as awkward as the time we first met, but uh, I want to begin another journey with you, right here. Another one, full of laughter and happiness." Tidus grabbed Yuna's hand and intertwined her fingers with his. He looked into her eyes, which never seemed to sparkle so brightly.

"I don't know what to say, Tidus, I always want you here with me. I love you, you understand that?"

"I love you too Yuna, so very much. You mean everything to me." Tidus paused and looked once more into her eyes. "Yuna?" _ I think I'm about to have a heart attack. _

"Yes?"

"Will you marry me?" Tidus reached into his pocket for the box and fumbled it on his first attempt. He fished in again and pulled it out the second time around, and opened it to reveal a dual-jeweled gold ring, with a sparkling blue sapphire diamond on the left, and the right a brilliant emerald. On the left face Tidus's Zanarkand Abes symbol was impressed into the surface, and on the right, the butt of Yuna's summoner staff of two years ago. Tidus then took Yuna's hand and raised it toward his face.

"Oh my god Tidus!" Yuna gasped. "Yes, yes yes, I will marry you!" Yuna's eyes welled up as Tidus nervously slipped the engagement ring on her finger.

_Great, a perfect fit. _Tidus decided it was a good idea to stand as he proposed instead of getting down on one knee, as he gazed into her face. Her eyes sparkled brilliantly from the light of the campfire and from the tears that formed in her eyes. That look Tidus would never forget. The two touched foreheads and gazed into each other's eyes.

"Tidus?"

"Yes?"

"Yes I will, yes, yes, yes!" Yuna placed a kiss on his lips and hugged him tightly to the point he thought he was losing his breath.

"I love you." Tidus replied to his new fiancée. "God I love this girl." Tidus whispered into space.

"What did she say?" Wakka shouted from his home.

"I said yes!" Yuna shouted back, giggling, before Tidus had the chance to give an answer.

"Congratulations!"

Yuna beamed at Tidus and the two walked home, hand in ringed hand.


	6. To Become One

**Cherish- Chapter 6: T(w)o Become One**

Traditional Spiran custom is that a wedding takes place mere weeks after an engagement is announced. This gave everyone not much time to plan the extravagant ceremony taking place inside the hallowed halls of Besaid Temple. Everything came down to the wire, but impeccably everything was ready down to the last detail, lest anyone dare impede the wedding of a living High Summoner, especially one who probably wouldn't have minded the fact.

The custom that the bride and groom didn't lay eyes upon each other for the last twenty-four hours was followed; in fact, Tidus had yet to see the wedding dress that Yuna had picked out upon her trip to Luca with Lulu, Rikku and Paine. Tidus was sure she would look absolutely stunning in it, no matter what she had picked.

Meanwhile, Tidus prepared to open the double doors in to the temple chamber. He wore an elaborately decorated blue robe somewhat resembling that of a Yevonite parishioner, although it was more ceremonial and ornate.

_ There she is. Right over there…in that room. Tell me this isn't a dream. _

_ There he is. He should be entering any moment now. Please tell me this isn't a dream. _

Tidus drew in a deep breath and twisted the handle. He stepped inside to a red carpet that lined a path directly in between the makeshift but sturdy white pews. As he entered, a band started playing a sweet melody, one of Yuna's favorites that was played through piano and violin. It was called Eternity –Memories of Waves and Light-, a fitting title, he thought. Tidus briskly walked down, scanning the eyes of everyone in the crowd, most of all, those of Wakka, and Kimahri, who had decided that this day was important enough to abandon his duties as Ronso elder for a few hours. He arrived at the base of the stairs of the Chamber of the Fayth, then turned and shook the hand of Baralai, who would serve as chaplain.

As Tidus took his place, the door opened for a second time, and Yuna stepped inside. Once more, her presence snatched the breath away from Tidus's lungs. She was dressed in a long flowing white wedding gown, imprinted and woven with elaborate rose, moonlily, and angelic wing design. Her veil did nothing to hide her face, and her hair was bunched atop her head, except for two long flowing bangs which adorned both sides of her face and centered it beautifully. Yuna wore a radiant smile that shined through the whole temple. As she made her way down the band picked up its beautiful intensity, as if highlighting Yuna's arrival over Tidus's.

Yuna glided down the aisle, stepping lightly, slowly, as if an angel, Tidus thought. Finally she arrived and the two stared into each other's faces, their expressions communicating everything.

"Welcome everyone, to this truly joyous of occasions." Baralai began. "Many, if not all of you, know the story of Lady Yuna of Besaid, summoner, unifier of Spira, the savior of all Spira, bringing to us the Eternal Calm. But let me tell you the story of Sir Tidus, the blitzball ace from Zanarkand." Most of the crowd gasped upon that revelation. Tidus looked at Yuna with a bewildered face, and Yuna returned a similar look. _If she didn't tell him, then who? _

"Yes, Tidus hails from Zanarkand. Not the Zanarkand you or I know today, but a bustling megalopolis destroyed one thousand years ago. Sir Tidus is also the son of Sir Jecht, whom served faithfully under Lord Braska. Like Sir Jecht to Lord Braska, Sir Tidus served faithfully under Yuna as guardian. He served dutifully, in fact with such devotion and love that he helped Yuna discover the true way to vanquish Sin for good. As Yuna and her guardians journeyed, these two standing before you today forged a bond of trust, loyalty, devotion, and love. It was Sir Tidus's love for Lady Yuna that helped her survive." Baralai paused, and the crowd erupted in applause.

"Tidus's reward, you might ask? Sir Tidus was a dream of the Fayth, and when the fayth vanished after Sin's demise, so did Tidus. Tidus suffered a fate worse than death, he was erased into nonexistence. It was…as if he never existed at all."

"So why is he here now? The guardian asking for his summoner's hand in marriage?"

"Forgive me for talking so openly about a subject we endured several months ago, but if there is any time it should ever come out, now is the best time."

"You know Yuna saved us all two years ago after killing Sin, but none of you know that Lady Yuna, with the help of Rikku and Paine," -Baralai pointed to the two- "saved Spira once more. Recently, a terrible machina of a thousand years was activated by a rogue unsent. This unsent ripped into the Farplane, which was the cause of the fiend epidemic of several months ago. This terrible machina had the capability to destroy not only Spira, but even the Farplane itself, and the souls of the departed that you hold dear. It literally had the power to destroy the entire dimension. Thanks again to Yuna, you won't have to worry." Once again, the crowd gasped, even louder this time.

"The Fayth you knew several years ago now reside in the Farplane. Thanks to Yuna's effort to keep Spira and the Farplane safe, the Fayth gathered up the thoughts and memories of Tidus and released him back to this world five months ago. Sir Tidus is no longer a dream or memory, but he is indeed real as you or I."

"Wow." Tidus breathed. Yuna was shocked at the thorough explanation.

"Anyways, enough of my babbling." Baralai continued. "Do you, Sir Tidus, or you, Lady Yuna, have any vows you wish to make public?"

"Yes, I do." Yuna replied.

"Very well."

"Tidus, it is funny how things happen. Our paths could have split many times. But they didn't. And as you continued upon my, our journey rather, I drew close to your support, your liveliness, and your love. They were great strengths upon my pilgrimage, tangible things I could draw on. Although we had to spend two years apart, know this. I still love you just as much. These two years has helped make our bond unbreakable, and each morning, I wake up appreciating every day you are here by my side. I love you with all my heart and I always will."

"Tidus?" Baralai offered. Tidus was still perplexed by Baralai's knowledge of his situation, but that wasn't important now. Who was important was staring him head on with her beautiful face.

"Yuna, I'm here, and as long as I'm here, I promise to hold you, take care of you, love you, and cherish you for all time. I came to Spira, some might say kicking and screaming, and I definitely didn't know what to expect, but through it all, you were there for me, and as our journey intertwined, the lost blitz ace and the beautiful summoner girl fell in love. I know you'll always be there for me, and I will always be here for you. One more thing, Yuna, may we never hesitate to hold each other's hand and let our love grow."

"That day, Yuna, I remember waking up, as if I was in someone's womb. I was underwater, and instinctively I swam for the surface, and then I saw I was at the shore of Besaid. It took me a couple of seconds to believe what I was experiencing, but I wondered after a second if you were there. So I whistled, you know, our whistle, but I didn't hear a response. 'Fair enough,' I thought maybe you were out, so I thought if nothing else, I'd meet up with Wakka, Lulu, and Kimahri and see if they knew where you were. So I made my way to shore, then I heard the airship and turned to see it swooping down. I had an idea it was you, although I couldn't say I was absolutely certain, but I should have known you would be right there. Then I got scared though as I thought Brother was going to faceplant on me, but luckily all I got out of that was wet again. Then I saw the cargo bay door open and you jumped out, and I knew everything was okay."

"Well, my memory…" Yuna began.

"Excuse me guys." Brother interrupted as he walked up to the altar. "Maybe this will serve as good testimony." Brother pulled out a green sphere from his pocket and hooked it up to a contraption behind the altar. He started it, and a screen appeared upon the airborne canvas which read "Gullwings Report 56". It switched to a view of the Celsius cockpit, and YRP could be seen walking into view.

"Woohoo, that was fun!" Yuna cheered.

"Yeah, we're going to have to do that again Yunie!" Rikku replied.

"That was a lot of fun." Paine said stoically.

"So, back to Besaid Yuna?" Brother asked from the cockpit.

"Yep."

Buddy switched the view from YRP to the control center of the Celsius, where Brother was dutifully piloting the ship back to Besaid Island.

"So Brother, what do you think?" Buddy asked in a reporter's tone. "Are the Gullwings done?"

"Never!" Brother shouted defiantly.

"There you have it folks." Buddy turned the camera back to Rikku and Yuna. Yuna looked passive and distant, as if thinking heavily.

Yuna remembered exactly what she was thinking at that point. She was asking herself if she really believed what she told herself on the deck of the Celsius. Was her story really going to be a good one? _What if the Fayth couldn't bring him back? What if it was just a cruel illusion meant to get my hopes up? _ She really didn't know what else to do. Everything was done now, she had nowhere else to go, and her search for him had lead to a dead end. Yuna didn't know if she could make it. Her life, as she saw it, was over now.

Rikku was her usual cheery self, which served to highlight Yuna's sullen and thoughtful expression even more. Her face seemed like it was gradually transforming, being dragged down by the enormity of the events that had recently unfolded.

"Yuna, you look down for some reason. What's the matter?" Buddy commented from behind the camera.

"Oh, it's nothing Buddy." Yuna dodged.

"You sure? It looks like something's on your mind."

"Well Buddy, it's been pretty traumatic these past few weeks."

"I see, not sure what you're going to do, eh?" Buddy reminded her.

"You can say that."

It was seconds later a high pitched whistle reverberated through the ship.

Tidus and Yuna flashed smiles at each other.

"Yuna, you love that whistle, yes?" Brother shouted from the background.

"It…wasn't…me…" Yuna spoke weakly as her face turned pale, looking stunned like a deer in the headlights. _ Him? _She remembered thinking.

"It wasn't Yuna." Rikku confirmed to Brother.

"Impossible! Only Yuna knows how to do that whistle!" Brother yelled.

"Yuna, and…" _ Holy shit. _Rikku remembered thinking.

"Him…" Yuna's voice cracked.

"Could it be?" Rikku was excited, but still skeptical.

"It came directly from Besaid." Shinra observed.

"Double speed!" Yuna shouted at Brother.

"Ooooh!" Rikku cooed as she peered through the ship's mounted binoculars. "Someone's waking toward shore, can't say who though."

"Let me see!" Yuna squealed as she executed a textbook tackle on Rikku that would have made the most veteran blitzballer proud, knocking her out of the way. Yuna gazed into the binoculars, looking at the tiny, distant figure walking toward the beach. She slowly began to make out the details. _ Blond hair, yellow and black outfit, overalls with one pant-leg longer than the other! _

"It's him!" Yuna cracked, starting to cry.

"What?" Rikku gasped.

"You sure?" Paine asked more reasonably as Rikku took back control of the binoculars.

"Oh my god Yuna, it is!" Rikku shouted excitedly.

Buddy followed Yuna as she danced around the deck, capturing her emotional, anxious reaction. "Brother! Take us down to the beach!" Yuna cried, wiping tears from her eyes.

"Double time!" Brother replied.

Buddy and his camera followed Yuna as she rushed below deck, and as the Celsius tilted sharply down, he fell flat to the floor. Buddy recovered and gathered the camera, rushed down below to the cargo bay only to fall again as Brother pulled the Celsius to an even keel just as quickly as he dove it down. Buddy managed to get one last shot of Yuna opening the cargo bay door and diving out to her long lost love before everything faded to black.

"Yeah, and I'm still hurting from those spills!" Brother chimed in from the crowd. Everyone shared a good laugh.

"Well, shall we commence?" Baralai asked.

"Yes." Yuna spoke sheepishly.

"Very well. Before we begin, if anyone objects to the union of Sir Tidus to Lady Yuna, speak now, or forever hold your peace."

There was no objection.

"May we have the rings?" Baralai asked next.

The bridesmaids, Lulu and Rikku, stepped forward holding out plush pillows with the wedding bands nestled in the center. They set them down upon a pedestal behind Yuna and Tidus.

"Very well then. Do you, Sir Tidus, take Lady Yuna to be your wife, to have and to hold, to love, honor, and cherish, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, as long as you both shall live?"

"I do." Tidus answered.

"Lady Yuna, do you take Sir Tidus to be your husband, to have and to hold, to love, honor, and cherish, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, as long as you both shall live?"

"I do."

Tidus took Yuna's wedding band adjacent to him, a silver ring encrusted with a diamond band. He took Yuna's hand and slipped it onto her ring finger, making Yuna smile as a tear trickled down her cheek. She took the identical wedding band adjacent to her and slipped it onto Tidus's finger.

"I shall pronounce you, Sir Tidus and Lady Yuna, husband and wife. Sir Tidus, you may now kiss the bride."

Tidus smiled and lifted the veil covering her face and grasped her shoulders and leaned in for the kiss. Yuna leaned in and the two kissed, and the crowd erupted into applause and cheers. As they finished locking lips, Baralai announced, "Spira, I present to you Sir Tidus and Lady Yuna, husband and wife."

That announcement arrived to more applause and cheers as Yuna and Tidus walked down the aisle, hand and hand, and to the reception area. There, with Tidus looking on, Yuna cut into the delicious vanilla and chocolate layer cake, officially starting the post-wedding party.

"Well now!" Wakka started as he walked up to the newlywed couple. "Welcome to the family!" He said, punching Tidus in the arm.

"Family?"

"Did you forget?" Lulu scolded. "We're like siblings!"

"Of course! I remember!" Tidus chuckled.

"Congratulations you two. I'm glad you kept your promise. But enough of that, I'll be going to Luca this afternoon thanks to you two." Lulu said smugly.

"What do you mean?" Tidus asked.

"I won a bet with Wakka on how long it would take for you two to get married." Lulu boasted.

"Lulu!" Yuna was shocked.

"It was my fault, Yuna." Wakka groaned. "I put Lulu up to it."

"And got burned, huh?" Tidus laughed.

"Ya. Put me out a thousand gil. Anyway, this is your moment. Enjoy it."

"You get some cake too!" Yuna reminded Lulu and Wakka as they dismissed themselves.

May I have this dance?" Tidus asked his new wife.

"Of course baby. Music please!" Yuna shouted. The music picked up again, which was Yuna's favorite song, the same one that was used as the two walked down the aisle. The two embraced and gazed into each other's eyes, swaying to the rhythm of the song. Of course many pictures were taken of this moment, and those before and after, stored into various collections of spheres, a few of which would actually be given to the newlywed couple.

"Wow." Tidus breathed.

"You don't need to say it, I know what you're thinking. I thought the same thing."

"That you'd never see this day, well, I mean, while I was still gone, you know." Tidus clarified.

"Something like that." Yuna replied with a reassuring kiss. She could sense that Tidus was still worried. Worried that all this could still be taken away, worried that he could still be forced to leave her again, something he feared yet he could never admit.

"Always." Yuna reminded him.

"Always." Tidus replied with a smile as the music stopped.

"Alright! Who wants my wedding bouquet!" Yuna shouted.

"Me!!!!" Rikku, Calli, and about fifty other single females shouted in unison.

"Alright, get ready!" Yuna warned as Tidus chuckled at the scene.

Yuna turned around and threw the rose and moonlily bouquet over her head. Rikku jumped above the rest of the crowd but the bouquet was too high even for her to reach, and the end result was that Rikku got a face full of floor.

"Rikku!" Yuna gasped as she ran over to her cousin.

"Ugh…I didn't catch it!"

"I shouldn't have thrown it with so much gusto. I'm so sorry!" Yuna apologized as she kneeled down at Rikku's side.

"You just don't want your cousin to be the next one to get married, do you?" Rikku whined.

"No, no! It's not that!" Yuna stammered.

"Yuna! You're always quick to cover your ass whether you're guilty of something or not!" Rikku teased.

"Rikku!" Yuna huffed.

"Gotcha! Hehe, I'm going to dive into some cake!" Rikku squealed as she danced off.

"Love, isn't it time we split?" Tidus asked.

"Of course! Attention everyone!" Yuna took control again. I thank all of you for coming out to our wedding, but now it's time for our honeymoon!" Yuna announced to a chorus of cheers and well wishes.

"After you!" Tidus said, and the two walked out of Besaid Temple toward the front steps, where they saw something they least expected. It was the Fayth Child, walking down the steps ahead of them, turning around and waving goodbye, then dispersing into a swarm of pyreflies that no one else could see.

"He didn't come back for me." Tidus muttered into Yuna's ear. That made it official for Tidus. Yuna responded by squeezing her hand tighter against his. The two walked down the steps where an empty hover lay waiting for its two occupants. Tidus took the driver's seat and Yuna sat behind him, wrapping her arms around him tightly. They were waved off by the many guests and the two rode down to the beach and boarded the Celsius. Unfortunately they had to wait for Buddy to drag a drunk Brother aboard, which meant Buddy would have to handle the ship's steering. Thankfully, Buddy was more than apt to get Tidus and Yuna to their honeymoon destination.

The newlywed couple was five miles from civilization. The pyreflies were dancing and the moonlilies were in full bloom. A full moon cast a pale, enchanting glow upon the banks of the Moonflow. They lay across a plush cloth they decided to cast mere feet from the water's edge. The night was young, and Yuna and Tidus arrived at a rather strange math problem, which didn't follow the traditional order of operations. They already did the adding, and the next order of business involved subtracting the wedding garb. Tidus thought Yuna beautiful in that dress, but he thought her even more stunning nude. Now that subtraction was accomplished, next came division.


	7. Tie That Binds

**Cherish: Chapter 7- Tie That Binds**

Tidus crawled out of bed this sunny morning alone. It was unusual he woke up after Yuna, he had come to realize, but it was something that occurred more often these days. He pushed through the canopy separating their bedroom from their living room and there she was, staring out at the blue sky.

"You feeling better, babe?" Tidus asked as he embraced her.

"I think so." Yuna spoke softly.

"Good. Glad to hear it. It won't be long before blitzball season starts back up. Think you want to head up to Luca today?"

"I dunno about that Tidus." Yuna spoke as if embarrassed.

"Yuna! There's big trouble!" Brother interrupted, via the Celsius Commsphere.

"Yes Brother? What is it?" Yuna replied, both of them turning to the commsphere.

"Your friend Calli!" Brother shouted. "We just got word she's in trouble up on Mi'ihen!"

"Trouble? What kind of trouble?" Yuna gasped.

"Chocobo eater!" Buddy yelled in the background.

"Again? Where's Rikku and Paine?" Yuna asked.

"I don't know. We tried to get hold of them but they're off somewhere!"

"Damn it!"

"I'll get Lulu and Wakka." Tidus reassured Yuna and ran off towards their place.

"Alright, I'll be right there, be ready to pick us up!" Yuna ordered.

"Sure thing!" Brother assured Yuna as she ran towards town.

"Another one?" Wakka grumbled as the two couples boarded the bridge of the Celsius.

"That's the third one, actually Wakka. Rikku, Paine and I took care of one several months ago, you know, during my spherehunter days." Yuna replied. "Double speed Brother!"

"I'm already going as fast as I can go! We should be at the Newroad in another minute!"

"Everyone ready?" Lulu asked.

"I'm good to go." Tidus confirmed with Chappu's Brotherhood.

"I'm ready." Wakka replied, keeping his Switch Hitter close to the vest.

"Brother, did you ever tie Lulu, Wakka, and Tidus to the garment grid?" Yuna asked frantically.

"No, I forgot about it! I can have it done in about 30 minutes!" Brother spoke, stressing out.

"Forget it. There's no time!" Yuna screeched as they closed into the scene of the action. The group saw that they had gotten there just a bit too late. They witnessed the Chocobo Eater flinging Calli off of the ledge and she fell hard to the ground below on the Oldroad.

"Now!"

Brother charged the Celsius down to a safe landing spot nearby and everyone jumped off just in time to save Calli from even more hurt. "Brother, get her some help now!" Yuna called out.

"She's bad…" Lulu observed grimly. Calli suffered from multiple fractures, cuts, bruises, and lacerations, and probably internal bleeding as well. Mercifully she appeared to be unconscious.

"Oh god." Brother gasped as he scooped her limp body up and back inside the Celsius, which promptly took off, leaving the four to face the behemoth alone and with no escape.

"This one's bigger than the rest we've faced." Yuna noted. "Nastier too…" She added, referring to the monster's pale brown tint and it's smatterings of blood and drool dripping from his mouth.

"You got that right!" Wakka replied, taking the first crack at the Eater with his Switch Hitter. The beast didn't flinch.

"Physical attacks won't cut it!" Yuna observed, and against her own advice, she drew her dual pistols from their holsters and unleashed a healthy barrage before exhausting both clips. This only made the fiend angrier.

"Let me try!" Tidus shouted and lunged at the beast, striking it right between the eyes. However, Brotherhood glanced straight off and Tidus came face to face with the Chocobo Eater's mammoth fist, flinging him back like a rag doll.

"Hitting it's no good!" Lulu shouted and directed the three back, unleashing a hellacious firaga attack which fried previous incarnations of the Chocobo Eater.

Not this one.

"Fuck!" Lulu cursed.

The response from Wakka was automatic. "Lu?" This was the first time Wakka heard her curse.

"Stand back guys!" commanded Yuna. And before the three could turn to look back at her a brilliant light blinded their eyes and that of the Chocobo Eater. Tidus shielded his eyes as he turned around; trying his best to make out what was happening to Yuna. He didn't know that Yuna had accessed her Floral Fallal super-dressphere, and as the light dissipated and Yuna's form emerged, Tidus's gasp joined the chorus of Lulu's and Wakka's. Tidus took note of her dramatically changed appearance, starting with the most obvious one: she was flying, five feet off the ground. Next, her hair. It was platinum with a tinge of lavender, and ribbons of lavender petals draped across her curves. _ She really is an angel. _ Tidus thought, drifting from the task at hand, but he also observed one more curve. _Gentle and soft. _ But there was no time for that now.

"What are you doing Yuna?" Tidus shouted.

"I'm cracking his defenses. Hold him off for me!"

"Roger!" Tidus and Wakka rushed forward grabbing the beast's arms at its shoulder joints, and while not doing any damage to it, they kept the monster at bay long enough for Yuna to disable the Eater's formidable protection against physical blows.

"Go for it!"

Wakka jabbed the fiend in the eye with Switch Hitter and Tidus unsheathed his sword. He swung it like an ax, and scored a direct hit on the Chocobo Eater's right arm, severing it at the shoulder. It thundered in a fever pitch of agony and primal anger, and made a last ditch effort for the foursome with its good arm swiping Tidus out of the way. Wakka ditched his blitzball and decked the monster underneath the chin with an uppercut. The top-heavy fiend reeled and slammed to the ground.

"Lulu! Cast your magic now!" Yuna commanded from her post as she poisoned the Eater.

"Right! Wakka, get back!" Lulu shouted. _ One firaga, that should do it. _Lulu casted the hellacious spell just as the Chocobo Eater rose to its feet for more.

Lulu missed, which was an extreme rarity. Instead, the beast's left arm disintegrated at the elbow due to the searing heat inflicted upon it.

"That's it." Tidus grimaced. "I'm going to finish this." He picked up Brotherhood and darted at the monster, then lunged at its thrashing head and jammed the sword into its cranium. The monster reeled and tipped, then shot a beam out of its mouth before finally collapsing, with no more fight in it.

Tidus turned his head to see the destination of the strange beam of energy, and before fully cocking it back; he heard it hit its mark.

Yuna tensed and shuddered, then let out a shrieking, blood chilling scream of searing pain. It became so great that she collapsed and lost consciousness, and hit the ground with the momentum of gravity, causing her head to bounce off the flattened surface of a plate-sized rock embedded in the ground.

"Yunaaa!" Tidus screamed almost as loudly, sprinting over to her in a speed that Tidus thought might have shattered land speed records, but knew wasn't fast enough. He scooped her and rolled her over on the ground, horrified as Yuna's pale face gradually disappeared under a blanket of velvet crimson. Tidus scooped her up.

"We need help!" Tidus screamed at the Newroad.

"We got to get her up to the gate, Tidus! She's hurt badly!" Lulu gasped.

"Oh my god, Yuna!" was Wakka's response as he yanked Brotherhood from the cranium of the dead Chocobo Eater. "Run!"

"Dammit Yuna!" Tidus growled as he sprinted into the narrow pass towards the Mushroom Rock gate. Thoughts raced through his mind. Thoughts he wanted to forbid, as well as cherished memories Tidus thought still needed to be added to. _ Yuna couldn't die, could she? She couldn't. Not after all we've been through. We're supposed to grow old together! _

_ I love you. _Tidus remembered the first time she spoke those words. She knew he was gone forever, her chance for love, washed away with the wind. She managed to live without him. _ I can't live without you, Yuna! _Tidus didn't even notice Wakka and Lulu paving the way for him by eliminating a Fly Eye and Lightning Flan up ahead, and in what seemed like both forever and an instant to Tidus, they reached the gate to Mushroom Rock.

"No one's here!" Wakka panicked.

"Dammit!"

"Back up the Newroad!" Lulu urged, and the three took off when a hover raced around the corner, narrowly avoiding being run over as the driver screeched to a halt.

"Rin! She needs help, bad!" Tidus breathed.

"What happened?"

"She took a hit and fell; she hit her head pretty hard!" Tidus gasped for air.

"Alright, I can get you back very quick. Hop on." Rin offered.

"Thank you Rin." Wakka replied as Rin gunned the hover. Wakka's opinion on machine was ever improving.

"Aaaah, Yuna." said a fatherly voice that Yuna hadn't heard in a long time.

_ Where am I? That voice? _

"Where am I?" Yuna groaned. She could hear, but her eyesight was still out of focus.

"Glad to see you. It's been a while, child."

_What? Could it be? _

"Father Kada?"

"Indeed it is. You're back in Besaid now. It sure has been a while since I last took care of you, you know?"

"Oh…wow." Yuna groaned. "What happened?"

"You took a pretty good hit to the head. You have a pretty good cut on your forehead which is wrapped up, and you have a concussion as well, but you should be alright with a little bit of rest. I think someone wants to see you right now though."

"Bring him in." Yuna muttered.

"Of course." Father Kada disappeared behind the leather drape, and seconds later Tidus emerged, walking to the side of her bed.

"Hey babe." Tidus spoke softly. "How you feeling?"

"Rough." Yuna moaned. "How's Calli?"

Tidus gulped. "She didn't make it."

"What?" Yuna groaned.

"I'm sorry." Tidus felt horrible giving her the news.

"It can't be…" Yuna gasped.

"I know." Tidus reached over to hug her. "I know, it was way too soon. Brother got her the best help she could have received, but it just wasn't enough. She's at peace though; she wanted you to know that."

Yuna thought that over and remained silent. _ It just wasn't fair. _

"Yuna?"

"Yes?"

"Our baby girl is going to be alright too."

"Girl? You're certain?" _ Oh no, I should have told him earlier. _

"That's what the healer Kada thought." Tidus explained with less enthusiasm than should have been expected.

"Tidus, I…"

"Why didn't you tell me earlier?" Tidus interrupted sharply.

"I, I thought you might not accept it."

"Yuna? Why?" Tidus shot back.

"I didn't think you'd want a child so soon."

"Yuna…" Tidus muttered.

"I'm sorry."

"You don't think I thought about that when I asked you to marry me?" Tidus spoke in a softer tone. "This was one of the perks I was looking towards, raising a family! I waited for you to tell me Yuna."

"I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me."

"You've got to tell me these things, Yuna!"

"I know."

"Hush, Yuna. It's alright now. We still have a little more than six months to prepare. You're going to be a mom soon."

"And you're going to be a dad too." Yuna smiled.


	8. Memories of Us

**Cherish- Chapter** **8: Memories of Us**

"Yuna! Wake up!" called Lulu from the front entrance. Yuna slowly responded to the call.

"Uh, wha…?" Yuna groaned as she stretched under the covers.

"We just got word that Macalania Forest is gone!" Lulu spoke excitedly. "The last traces disappeared this morning!"

"Oh, really?" Yuna asked. She looked over at Tidus's side of the bed, which was empty. _ Nothing unusual. _

"Wow, finally." Yuna observed. "I'll be out in a second, Lulu."

Yuna crawled out of bed, or in Yuna's opinion, rolled out, and she bumbled her way to her dresser, selecting a white flower-print sweater and a light blue set of maternity pants, both of which barely came together to give a hundred percent coverage over her round stomach. _ I'm getting fat. _

Next, Yuna waddled to the living room, which was empty. _ Okay, he's outside. _

Yuna emerged from her home to see Lulu waiting for her, who looked like she had something she couldn't keep in. "Okay Lulu, want to fill me in?"

"It's gone Yuna. Simple as that. Reports are it's just a dry land now." Lulu explained as the two walked into town.

"I really hate to hear that. A lot of special memories there, you know?" Yuna lamented.

"Of course. So, how are you and Tidus coping?" Lulu asked.

"Well, I'm starting to get the swollen ankles now. Other than that, we can't wait for the baby to come. It should be another two months though. Tidus can't resist. He thinks the baby kicking is adorable. He can't resist feeling her kick. I wish he knew what it was like."

Lulu chuckled. "I felt the same way about Wakka, you know. He was about the same way."

"Really?"

"Yeah. It drove me nuts." Lulu groaned.

"I don't mind it so much. I mean, it's us time, you know?" Yuna explained.

"That's understandable. I must say though, you're getting pretty big already Yuna. Think you can handle it?"

"I know it! I'm beginning to wonder Lulu! Say though, even when you were due, you didn't seem all that big. Why is that?" Yuna wondered aloud and jealously.

"Well, I'll tell you, although it should be obvious. These little girls up here helped out a lot."

"Little?" Yuna scoffed. Lulu shrugged in reply.

"Good lord, if you're little, I'm…well, I'm not going to go there."

"Good, because I'll win."

Both Yuna and Lulu busted out laughing, and after a few minutes, Yuna regained enough composure to ask a burning question.

"Say, where's Tidus?" Yuna asked.

"I have no idea. I assumed he was with you." Lulu replied.

"Really? Where could he have gone?"

"It scrambles my chocobos. Anyways, I need to get back; I think Vidina might be taking his first steps soon."

"Oh really? How wonderful!" Yuna beamed.

"That's the first steps to him becoming a little terror." Lulu joked.

"Aww come on, it can't be that bad." Yuna replied.

"You'll find out soon enough." Lulu said with a wink. "I better get going."

"Alright Lulu! Take care!"

"You too!"

Yuna turned back and walked out of town. She thought it was highly unusual for Tidus to go somewhere and not tell her where he was going. And although she was not in the best shape for a power walk, she took off up the hill towards the ruins and the waterfalls. Tidus was nowhere to be found, so she continued ahead past the underground labyrinth and right, into the path to the beach and the dock. Two small kids were running around at the ocean's edge, a boy and a girl with nothing to do but chase each other. Yuna walked up to them.

"Lady Yuna!" The boy greeted.

"Hello." Yuna replied. "Have you seen Tidus?"

"Yes!" The little girl chimed in. "He disappeared into the ocean and told us not to follow him."

"Disappeared?" Yuna's heart sank to her stomach.

"Yep." The young boy replied.

"What?" Yuna gasped. _ Macalania finally faded. Did you fade again? It was a year ago today you came back! Was that the only time you were granted? Tidus, tell me you're still here! I'm pregnant with your child! We're supposed to raise a family together! We're supposed to grow old together! I can't go on without you! _

Yuna collapsed to her knees and started crying. _ He must have been too afraid to tell me! Why, fayth? Why did you have to do this? Why did you bring him back to yank him back like this? Do you like playing with us? What about our child? Growing up without a father? What about me? _Yuna thought as she held her face in her hands. She remembered what Tidus said when he explained the death of his mother.

"It's like when a lovebird dies. The other one just gives up living, hoping to join its mate."

Yuna could already feel the transformation of her state of mind. Her lovebird died, again, and she couldn't bear to be without him.

"No…."

"What are you doing here?" Tidus shouted as his head emerged from the ocean.

"Where have you been?!!!!!!?" Yuna screamed.

"What?" Tidus replied, bewildered as he walked ashore. "I was just getting the blitzball that little tyke right over there shot out into the water. It popped too. Besaid's going to have a great team soon."

"I thought you disappeared again!!!" Yuna shouted, wiping tears from her eyes.

"Really? Why in the world did you think that?"

"Lulu woke me up this morning and told me that Macalania Forest disappeared, you know, because the fayth disappeared. When they said you disappeared, it just ran through my head that you disappeared again and wanted to spare all the hurt you'd put me through." Yuna sobbed.

"Oh Yuna, I'm so sorry! I should have told you I was coaching the kids. I'm really sorry Yuna." Tidus spoke softly as he held Yuna's head in her hands.

"I'm just glad you're still here Tidus." Yuna shivered.

"Yuna, did you walk here all by yourself?" Tidus asked, concerned for her and their child.

"Yes I did."

"Damn Yuna. I'm sorry. I know you've been complaining of swollen knees and ankles."

"It's okay, I can do it." Yuna replied. "Oh my Tidus…"

"Not unless I'm carrying you back." Tidus smirked. "Because you aren't walking back to town."

"But, but I can do it!"

"Okay, you can walk if you can break my grasp." Tidus suavely swept Yuna off her feet and cradled her into his arms.

"Never mind." Yuna sniffled and chuckled at the same time.

"What was that?" Tidus prodded.

"Oh just carry me back you big goof!" Yuna commanded, her chuckles betraying her attempt to sound serious.

"I'm big? I'm having trouble carrying you. You might just have to walk after all!" Tidus teased.

"That's it!" Yuna growled and tried to wiggle out of Tidus's grasp, then busted out in another fit of laughter. "Come on Tidus, this is hard work!"

"Well, it's good to see your sense of humor is still intact, honey." Tidus said charmingly.

"Fine! No outhouse for you tonight after all!" Yuna huffed. Tidus grinned. "What about the penthouse?"

"Don't push your luck." Yuna poked at Tidus.

"I never needed it before, did I?"

"No, you didn't doll." Yuna smiled.

--------------------

"Yo Tidus!"

"Yeah Wakka?" Tidus replied as he carried Yuna back into town.

"I wanna ask you something."

"Yeah, what is it, old man?"

"Think I could come back? Ya know, for next season, ya?"

"Oh god, I've been waiting for you to ask. You know you're far too young to be retired!"

"Good, I needed that. Do you think you can shake the rust off of me?" Wakka asked.

"Depends on what team you want to play for." Tidus shot back.

"The Besaid Aurochs, of course!"

"Ohhhhhh dammit, no can do."

"What, don't want to aid the enemy, eh? I see how it is."

"I'm kidding Wakka. I owe ya big time, you know?"

"That's right, brudda. Let's get this thing set up, ya?"

Actually, there was nothing to set up. The arena was the town square; the surroundings, compacted dirt and thick, humid air. A very old school representation of the water-borne sport, but it was effective enough to test a prospective blitzer's talents, or in this case, a retiree looking to recapture his past glory. Wakka thought long and hard about this. After so many years of fruitless defeat, he retired a winner, bringing Besaid its first Crystal Cup. But at 27, Wakka had many years left to deliver, and the regulars actually were holding their own now.

"Shall we go?" Lulu asked Yuna.

"I think I'm going to stay and watch, Lulu."

"At least sit down and rest, okay?" Lulu ordered. "Too much of it is never enough in your condition."

"Hehe, I will Lu."

-----------------------

"Come on man, is that all you've got?" Tidus taunted.

"Don't waste your breath." Wakka countered.

"The Wakka I knew gave no quarter." Tidus shot back.

"Yeah, well how about this?"

"Whoa, oh shit!" Tidus fell back on his ass as Wakka double back-flipped and then shot the ball through Tidus's side of the field.

"Not bad for someone in a rocking chair, eh?"

"Where did you learn that shot?" Tidus asked.

"He was fifteen then when he learned the Magnificent Ballet Shot, isn't that right Wakka?" Yuna chimed in.

"Hey hey hey! No one is supposed to know that I named it that." Wakka steamed.

"Now what is this?" Tidus prodded.

"It's nothing!"

"Wakka thought the name was great at the time, but when he took it to Luca, everyone laughed at its name. It didn't help either that he never scored a goal with it." Yuna chuckled.

"But it's back and better than ever!" Wakka boasted. "It just took time to perfect it, eh?"

"Welcome back, by the way." Tidus said.

"You think so?"

"You never should have retired in the first place."

-----------------------

"How are ya feeling?" Tidus asked

"Big…that's how I'm feeling." Yuna groaned.

"Care to elaborate?"

"My joints hurt."

"Yuna, what's wrong? It's something more, isn't it?" Tidus asked.

_What is wrong?_ Yuna asked herself. _This is silliness. Sure I'm hurting, but isn't that a part of it? Get your priorities right girl! You're married to HIM! You're having HIS child! You're creating a family with HIM! This is what you wanted!_

"I'm sorry, Tidus, I guess I was just in one of those moods. It happens being pregnant like this."

"No, no, Yuna, it's alright! It can't be long now, you know?"

"Another month and a half."

"Still a ways, huh?"

"You're just like Wakka, he thought Lulu was about to go long before she was due."

"I can't wait though, Yuna! It's just…exciting, you know, you, me, us?"

"I know!"

Tidus embraced Yuna behind her back and placed both of his hands upon her stomach. "Have you thought any more on a name?"

"I have a few in mind."

"Oh really, what?"

"Um, it's a secret."

"You haven't thought of names."

"Exactly." Yuna giggled.

"Yuna, what am I going to do with you?" Tidus teased.

"It's bedtime." Yuna replied.

"This early?" Tidus scoffed.

"Sure."

"Well, I do have a big game tomorrow."

"Oh yeah, that's right." Yuna remembered, then looked down.

"Oh Yuna, you were meaning…"

"Come on."

"But if we win the game tomorrow, we clinch the playoffs!"

Yuna's final reply wasn't verbal. Instead her eyes glinted longingly at him, and when they came into play, Tidus could never say no. _Something about that adorable face,_ Tidus remembered.

---------------------------

"Congratulations on your eleventh straight victory, a new record! No one has ever gone undefeated this far into the season before! As team captain, what are your thoughts?" Shelinda asked.

"Oh man, we just have a great group of guys, Brother, Buddy, Rikku, we're glad to have her back on the team, we all just keep challenging each other and make each other better. I couldn't have ever asked for a better group of people." Tidus replied.

"Your team has already clinched the playoffs. Thoughts?"

"Well, we won't rest until we get the bye. Then we can rest the bye-week!" Tidus laughed.

"And there you have it! This is Shelinda, signing off, you're watching the Spira News Network."

--------------

Rikku thought she would sneak in on the two. It was her way, anyways. Her hopes were dashed, however, as Yuna stepped out.

"Hey Rikku! Where have you been?" Yuna asked.

"Hey, I've been busy spherehunting! It's not easy taking over your job as well, you know, Yunie?"

"Yeah, I know Rikku. But I'm not exactly in the shape to gather spheres these days."

"I know! How are you feeling?" Rikku asked.

"I'm feeling pretty good right now. Oooh, she started kicking."

"She?" Rikku asked. "You're having a girl?" 

"I think so. She's beginning to kick!"

"Awwww so cute! Can I feel?"

"Of course." Yuna blushed.

Rikku gently glided her hand along Yuna's stomach. "You know, you're so cute, Yuna!"

"That's what Tidus keeps telling me."

"Two people can't be wrong, can they?" Tidus prodded as he walked in.

"I guess not." Yuna conceded. "How are you and Paine doing?"

"Uhh...we broke up." Rikku replied soberly.

"Oh no, I'm sorry to hear that!"

"Don't worry, it wasn't a bad break. We're still good friends, and we're still spherehunting."

"That's good."

"We still miss you, Yunie." Rikku lamented.

"I know, I know. But I'm happy down here."

"And I'm happy you are, Yunie."

"Oh, one more thing before I go. I found a couple of spheres you might want to watch."

"Awww, thanks Rikku. Are you leaving now?"

"Yeah, it's best I leave you two to it, alright?" Rikku replied. "Take it easy!"

"You too!"

"I wonder what these are?" Tidus asked.

"I don't know. I guess we'll find out." Yuna replied, clicking on the first recording sphere and setting it down on the table.

"Yuna...I know you probably can't understand this now but I hope you will in due time." The man began.

"Father..." Yuna mumbled.

"Today I've decided to become a summoner. I've thought about this for a long time. I'm doing it for your future, and for Spira's future. Sin must pay for taking your mother away from you." Braska stopped talking for a moment to gather his thoughts. "I guess if you're seeing this now you're probably thinking I'm consumed with revenge. But I'm not. I've weighed this through rationally, and I know it's a sacrifice, but it's a sacrifice for your good, for Spira's good."

"I wish I could see you grow up, walk you down the aisle, hold my first grandchild. But know this: unless I stop Sin, I fear that you might not have the opportunity to experience such things. I love you, Yuna."

A tear trickled down Yuna's eye. "I never thought I'd see that. I thought I saw all there was to see."

Tidus wiped her tear away. "Your father loved you. He always did, Yuna."

"Now I'm going through all those things he was talking about...and it's, well, it's like seeing him again. It's like he's here again."

"He is here, Yuna."

"I know. Well, let's see the other one."

Yuna clicked on the second sphere, and set it in place of the first.

"Yuna, well, maybe you'll understand in time. Anyways..."

"You weren't supposed to see this." Tidus groaned. The recording was taken aboard the airship as they prepared to enter Sin.

"Anyways, well, I never was good at this. I guess I'll just say it. When you kill Sin, you're going to kill me too. I'm going to disappear. It's difficult to explain, but I'm a dream of the fayth, I guess, and when Sin is finally killed, the fayth are going to stop dreaming."

"It sucks, Yuna, because you've been my rock this entire journey. I want to continue to be there for you, be your future. But I guess I was brought here so you could have your future. I am so thankful that you will not be a sacrifice for the cycle that Sin created. And when you beat him this time, you'll destroy him for good. I know I'm pretty much sacrificing myself, but you are the girl I'd sacrifice myself for."

"So, whenever you see this, know I'll always love you. And when you look up at the stars, think of me from time to time, okay? I'll be there for you, watching over you, seeing you live your life. But please remember one thing. I love you, Yuna." Then, Tidus could be heard mumbling something incoherent to himself before tossing the sphere overboard.

"Tidus..."

"Hey, hey, I'm here now, okay? Forget all that." Tidus enouraged her.

Yuna smiled. "Well, you know this future wouldn't be possible without you."

"Here's our future now." Tidus said as he cuddled Yuna up in his arms and then wrapped his around her stomach. "I bet you still haven't thought of any names."

"Nope."

"We're just days away, aren't we?" Tidus asked.

"Now we are." Yuna said as she smiled and kissed Tidus on the cheek.

--------------------

Spira's biggest form of entertainment was of course blitzball, so, of course, it was no surprise that the championship game was the most hyped and energetic gathering of society on the planet.

"Welcome everyone to the Spira Blitzball League Championship game! You are in for one amazing treat, as the Luca Goers seek to retain their title against a supercharged Gullwings team."

"That's right, Bobba. Ever since the Star Player has made his presence known, he has made a tremendous impact, no matter the team he's on. Tidus, simply put, is the epitome of blitzball perfection. You are in for one slobberknocker of a match, a rematch of the bitterly contested semi-finals of a year ago. For the introduction, we take it down to Shelinda of the Spira News Network."

"Thank you guys. Now, are you ready for the players to come out?" The stadium exploded in a roar.

"Alright! First off, with the Gullwings is Brother!" Brother pranced out wearing sunglasses and danced to the music being played. "Brother this year has scored fifteen goals and picked off six passes, and plays at right forward!"

"Second, playing center forward in place of Yuna is Brother's sister, heh, try saying that three times fast, Rikku! Since returning this year she's had six goals and has had a ninety-eight percent passer accuracy rating!" Rikku skipped out and took her place in the players' box.

"Third in the line-up but not in performance, at left forward is the husband of High Summoner Yuna, Sir Tidus! Sir Tidus has scored a record twenty-seven goals this season, picked off ten passes, and has forced three fumbles!" No one walked out. "And one more time, third in the line-up but not in performance is Sir Tidus." Once again, Tidus didn't walk out.

"Um, okay?" Shelinda muttered, bewildered. Rikku and Brother ran back into the backroom.

---------------------

"Are you sure?" Tidus asked nervously.

"I'm sure," Yuna moaned. "It's time!"

Tidus was unsure what would happen once this moment arrived. He didn't want to let Yuna, or their child, down. But once Yuna started experiencing contractions his mind kicked into overdrive.

"Back to Besaid!" Tidus barked.

"Yes..." Yuna moaned, not wanting to create a scene.

Tidus scooped her up as Brother and Rikku arrived, the camera crew not far behind as well. Tidus ran her down the stairs and out the entrance of Luca Stadium towards Luca proper. Crazed media members began to swarm the group, eventually impeding their process as each one dove in to get the "scoop."

That changed quickly however as Brother rushed forward and decked one of the cameramen in the face. Tidus and the group ran into Wakka and Lulu as they walked toward the stadium.

"Is she going?" Lulu asked.

"Yeah," Tidus breathed heavily.

"Uugghh." Yuna moaned.

"Get her going then!" Wakka barked.

"Hey Wakka?" Tidus gasped.

"Don't worry about the game. I got your back, brudda."

"Thanks, man." Tidus breathed as he took off with Yuna to the Celsius.

-------------------

Labor is not an instantaneous process, actually, it can take many hours. But gradually, Yuna's contractions grew more frequent and powerful, but with the town doctor in attendance, and Tidus with her hand in, well, broken hand, Tidus was beginning to think, everything was in relative order. Lulu returned to Besaid with them to lend any possible support and experience, and Kada pronounced everything to be running as well as could be expected.

"Oh god...Tidus!" Yuna screamed as another contraction flared up.

"I'm here for you honey." Tidus replied, speaking softly.

"It won't be long now. Give it all you can." Kada observed.

"All you can, Yuna." Lulu repeated.

"I can see the head." Kada pronounced.

"One more honey, just one more." Tidus encouraged her.

Yuna breathed and squeezed his hand once more, and groaned and grunted, her face beet red and dripping with sweat. She pushed once more, and then...

"Waaaaaaaaaaaaah!"

"Congratulations you two, you have a baby girl!" informed Kada.

"Just like you said, honey." Tidus said as he felt Yuna's death grip on his hand slacken up.

Yuna, of course, started welling up. "Just like I said!" Yuna choked as Tidus started stroking her hair.

Kada returned with their child and handed her off first to Tidus. Tidus himself began welling up, getting the first, up close look at his newborn daughter.

"Hi there!" Tidus said to her, as she continued wailing and crying for her mother. "You're beautiful. You're so beautiful. Have you decided on a name for her?" Tidus asked as he gave her to Yuna.

"Look at her." Yuna began. "Such pretty blonde hair!"

"I know..." Tidus beamed.

Yuna thought for a moment. "Lenne...such a perfect name."

"Lenne it is then. "Hi there Lenne!" Tidus cooed.

"Hey there guys!" Wakka called as he walked in. "Fill me in!"

"They have a cute little girl named Lenne." Lulu informed him.

"Lenne, eh? Such a cute name, if you don't mind me saying so."

"How'd the game go?" Tidus asked. Wakka simply returned with a thumbs-up. For Tidus, that was more than enough. He turned back to his beautiful girls, and made eye contact with Yuna once more.

-------------------------

"Stay with me, until the end." Yuna asked of him.

"Not until the end, always." Tidus replied, refusing to accept the fact that there might be a time where they would be separated by more than a whistle.

--------------------

"Always..." Tidus muttered.

Yuna simply smiled. Part of her wanted to ask what Tidus meant, but she already knew. He would fulfill his end, not only to her, but to them as a family. And because of him, she would fulfull her part.


End file.
